科学家发现了一具1.65亿年前的侏罗纪捕食者化石，为哺乳动物如何饮用乳汁提供了古老的进化证据2。这具化石属于物种Megacauda sungei，体长约50厘米、重约2公斤，是已知最大的哺乳形动物2。该化石显示这种类似水獭的生物在恐龙时代在湖泊和河流中游泳1。
这一发现的关键在于该生物复杂的软腭结构2。这种咽部的改造使吞咽时能够维持呼吸能力，分离了口腔和咽喉2，为现代哺乳动物的安全喂养机制奠定了基础2。波恩大学古生物学家Thomas Martin表示，"正是这种适应使大脑发育成为可能，最终导致了人类的出现"2。该化石发现于内蒙古下营子2，由来自沈阳古生物博物馆、芝加哥大学、波恩大学和山东大学的研究人员合作完成2，相关研究已发表在《自然》杂志上2。
Scientists have discovered a 165-million-year-old Jurassic fossil that illuminates a critical evolutionary development in mammalian feeding and brain development.2 The specimen, identified as Megacauda sungei, represents one of the largest known mammaliaforms of its time, measuring approximately 50 centimeters in length and weighing about 2 kilograms.2 The fossil was excavated in Xiaoyangzi, Inner Mongolia, and the research was published in Nature in 2026.2
The significance of this discovery lies in the creature's anatomical structure, particularly its soft palate—a specialized tissue that separates the oral cavity from the pharynx.2 This modification enabled the ancient predator to maintain continuous respiration while swallowing, a fundamental adaptation that laid the groundwork for modern mammals' nursing mechanisms.2 Researchers from Bonn University, the University of Chicago, Shandong University, and the Shenyang Institute of Paleontology collaborated on the analysis.2 According to paleontologist Thomas Martin of Bonn University, "It was precisely this adaptation that made brain development possible, ultimately leading to the emergence of humans."2
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