Krusatodon juvenile skeleton

3D ModelNoAI

The reconstructed skeleton of a juvenile Krusatodon kirtlingtonensis, based on specimen NMS G.2023.8.1 from the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Fossils of juvenile mammals from this time period are exceptionally rare. This individual was replacing its baby teeth with adult ones, and study of cementum increments indicate it was between 7-24 months old, suggesting that mammals at this time grew much more slowly than modern mammals of the same body mass. Findings reported in Panciroli et al. (2024) Jurassic fossil juvenile reveals prolonged life history in early mammals, Nature. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07733-1