An incredible fossil of a dinosaur and badger-like mammal locked in an eternal fight to the death has been revealed by scientists.
The 125 million-year-old fossil captures the dramatic moment in time when a carnivorous mammal attacked a large plant-eating dinosaur.
It is among the first evidence to show mammals attacked dinosaurs bigger than them, rather than just targeting their young.
The dinosaur in the well-preserved fossil is a species of Psittacosaurus, which was about the size of a large dog and whose name translates to ‘parrot lizard’.
Meanwhile the mammal in the fossil pair is a badger-like animal, called Repenomamus robustus.
An incredible fossil of a dinosaur and badger-like mammal locked in an eternal fight to the death has been revealed by scientists
The 125 million-year-old fossil captures the dramatic moment in time when a carnivorous mammal attacked a large plant-eating dinosaur
Although not large by dinosaur standards, it was among the biggest mammals during the Cretaceous period, at a time when mammals had not yet come to dominate the Earth.
The fossil was collected in China’s Liaoning Province, and both skeletons are nearly complete.
A close look shows the mammal sitting atop its prey, gripping the jaws of the larger dinosaur.
It can also be seen biting into the dinosaur’s ribs, while using its back feet to grip onto the dinosaur’s hind leg.
It is thought the pair may have become buried suddenly by mudslides and debris following a volcanic eruption.
Dr Jordan Mallon, co-author of the study from the Canadian Museum of Nature, said: ‘The two animals are locked in mortal combat, intimately intwined, and it’s among the first evidence to show actual predatory behaviour by a mammal on a dinosaur.
‘The co-existence of these two animals is not new, but what’s new to science through this amazing fossil is the predatory behaviour it shows.
‘The weight of the evidence suggests that an active attack was underway.’
The findings were published in the journal Scientific Reports.
The dinosaur in the well-preserved fossil is a species of Psittacosaurus, which was about the size of a large dog and whose name translates to ‘parrot lizard’. Meanwhile the mammal in the fossil pair is a badger-like animal, called Repenomamus robustus
A close look shows the mammal sitting atop its prey, gripping the jaws of the larger dinosaur. It can also be seen biting into the dinosaur’s ribs, while using its back feet to grip onto the dinosaur’s hind leg
This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk
