A groundbreaking study, recently published in Papers in Palaeontology, has revealed the oldest known fossil of a docodontan mammal, shedding new light on the evolutionary journey of early mammals. The discovery, led by Dr. Sofia Patrocínio and her team, presents the oldest definitive docodontan found to date, narrowing the knowledge gap between early docodontans and later mammalian species by 7 million years. The fossil provides key insights into how docodontans evolved, further enriching our understanding of the complex evolutionary relationships among early mammals. “This probably made them able to eat a wider range of foods, making them more ecologically diverse,” explains Dr. Panciroli. According to Dr. Panciroli, “It is not possible to say why they became extinct.