Warmer Sooner than We Thought

Evolutionary science is intriguing. There was a time when our ancestors were cold-blooded, and at a certain time in mammalian evolution, there was a shift to being warm-blooded. In a study published in Nature, scientists have pinpointed the moment this adaptation occurred, and it is 19 million years later than previously thought. Some 233 million years ago, mammals began to breathe vapour into cold air, but scientists wouldn’t have been there to see it.

So, how do they know?

A study of the biomechanics of the inner ear canal samples from 341 animals, 243 living species and 64 extinct species found that the narrow inner canal structures suitable for warm-blooded animals came 233 million years ago. This counters previous known thought, which stated mammals inherited warm-bloodedness from the cynodonts (a scaly rat-like lizard). However, research brings new insight, defining a researcher’s mindset.

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