Paleontologists have identified the foot of a mammal the size of a mouse within the fossilized skeleton of a microraptor dinosaur.
The discovery, published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, is reported to be the “first record of a dinosaur preying on a mammal”, according to researchers, as reported by The Guardian on December 21.
The fossil shows the foot of a small mammal within the skeleton of a microraptor dinosaur. (Photo: Alex Dececci/Mount Marty College/PA).
The fossil, dating back 120 million years, reveals the foot of an animal inside the skeleton of a microraptor—a small feathered dinosaur with four wings.
This fossil specimen was first described over 20 years ago in 2000, but researchers noted that the previous team did not observe the remains of another species within the dinosaur’s fossil.
Analysis indicates that the prey was a mammal roughly the size of a mouse, which lived on the ground and was not adept at climbing.
Previous studies of other microraptor fossils have recorded non-mammalian foods found in their stomachs, such as birds, lizards, or fish.
Dr. David Hone from Queen Mary University of London, the lead author of the study, stated: “It is very rare to find examples of food inside dinosaurs, so every example is truly significant as it provides direct evidence of what they ate.”
“Although this mammal is not an ancestor of humans, we can look back at some of our distant relatives that became meals for dinosaurs.”
“This research paints a picture of a fascinating moment—the first record of a dinosaur preying on a mammal—even if it’s not as terrifying as anything in the Jurassic Park movies.”
The microraptor typically lived in the ancient forests of what is now China, around 125 to 113 million years ago.
Despite moving on two legs, experts believe that some microraptor species may have had the ability to fly.
They were about the size of a crow or a cat, and moved from tree to tree to hunt small animals.
