Study Shows: The Life Of Pantolambda's Were Larger Than Most Mammals

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Pantolambda bathmodon, a stocky, now-extinct mammal, lived 62 million years ago and reached roughly 92 lbs in adulthood, which was a much larger size than most mammals that came before.  Video credit: G. Funston Music: "Sheep Rotation" by Jobii

Transcript

00:00A new study gives a unique window into the life of our ancient cousin, an animal called Panto-Lambda.

00:07Paleontologists learned about its growth by making thin sections,

00:11cutting the bones and teeth thin enough to let light shine through.

00:15This let Dr. Funston and his colleagues look at growth marks recording the days and years of

00:20Panto-Lambda's life. Features of the bone show how fast it grew and how many years old it was

00:27when it died. The teeth give a more precise record, showing daily pulses of growth during the animal's

00:36early life. The teeth also record a birth line, showing when the animal was born.

00:44The team looked further into the life of Panto-Lambda by analyzing the chemistry of the teeth.

00:50Using a precise laser to vaporize small amounts of material,

00:54they mapped the composition of the teeth.

00:58This showed chemical changes associated with major events in the animal's life, like birth.

01:06Using the daily growth marks in the teeth, this allowed them to precisely estimate how long

01:10Panto-Lambda mothers were pregnant, and how long the babies suckled before they were independent.

01:17Based on the birth line in the teeth, the team showed that Panto-Lambda was pregnant for 7 months,

01:22and the babies' teeth developed quickly. Babies suckled for about 1 to 2 months,

01:28meaning that they were independent early in life.

01:31Using marks in the bones, the team found that Panto-Lambda would have reached sexual maturity

01:36in about 1 year. And they had a short lifespan, with most individuals dying at about 4 years old,

01:42but some individuals living up to 11 years of age.

01:46This study shows that Panto-Lambda gave birth to well-developed young,

01:50like many living species of hoofed mammals. This is the earliest evidence of this type of lifestyle

01:56in the fossil record. And it gives the clearest picture yet into the lifestyle of a long extinct

02:01mammal. Learn more about the study and its importance by checking out the paper, Out Now in Nature.

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