This surprising mammal fossil is giving scientists something to chew on

Researchers say a small fossil from the middle Jurassic provides some of the oldest evidence of chewing and swallowing as well as suckling — all distinctly mammalian traits.

It’s likely you’ve already chewed and swallowed some tasty morsel today. But when did that ability emerge? New evidence points to at least the middle Jurassic, back when dinosaurs still reigned.

(Image credit: Chang-Fu Zhou/Shandong University of Science and Technology)