A new fossil site in northern Germany may be the ‘Rosetta Stone’ for understanding early mammal evolution. Discovered in a former open-cast coal mine, the fossil assemblage dates back to the Palaeocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), a period of rapid warming that led to the spread of mammals across the world. The discovery of this new site offers a unique insight into the evolution of early mammals, which has the potential to revolutionize current theories about the origin and spread of mammals during the PETM. The site has already yielded numerous fossilized mammal bones, teeth, and even embryos, which will provide invaluable information on the diversity and evolutionary relationships of early mammals.

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source: Phys.org