Fossil teeth reveal how a 56-million-year-old mammal adapted to global warming and what it means for animals today.
Fossil teeth reveal how a 56-million-year-old mammal adapted to global warming and what it means for animals today.
About 56 million years ago, when Earth experienced a dramatic rise in global temperatures, one meat-eating mammal responded in a surprising way: It started eating more bones.
That’s the conclusion reached by a Rutgers-led team of researchers, whose recent study of fossil teeth from the extinct predator Dissacus praenuntius reveals how animals adapted to a period of extreme climate change known as the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). The findings, published in the journal Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, could help scientists predict how today’s wildlife might respond to modern global warming.
“What happened during the PETM very much mirrors what's happening today and what will happen in the future,” said Andrew Schwartz, a doctoral student in the Department of Anthropology at the School of Arts and Sciences, who led the research. “We’re seeing the same patterns. Carbon dioxide levels are rising, temperatures are higher and ecosystems are being disrupted.”
Read More: Rutgers University
Image: In addition to making fossil discoveries, doctoral student Andrew Schwartz is looking to inspire the next generation of paleontologists. (Credit: Andrew Schwartz via Rutgers University)
