Researchers have discovered a Gorgonopsian, the world’s oldest mammalian ancestor, on the Spanish island of Mallorca. Dating back 270 to 280 million years, this remarkable find is reshaping our understanding of mammalian evolution and its geographic origins.
A prehistoric predator emerges
The fossil remains belong to a gorgonopsian, a group of saber-toothed predators that lived during the Permian period. These creatures were part of the evolutionary lineage that would eventually give rise to mammals. The specimen, approximately one meter long, was excavated from a site in the municipality of Banyalbufar, in the Serra de Tramuntana region of Mallorca.
Rafel Matamales, curator of the Museu Balear de Ciències Naturals and lead author of the study, expressed surprise at the abundance of fossil material recovered: “The large number of bone remains is surprising. We have found everything from fragments of skull, vertebrae, and ribs to a very well-preserved femur. In fact, when we started this excavation, we never thought we would find so many remains of an animal of this type in Mallorca“.
Rewriting evolutionary history
The significance of the discovery lies not only in its age, but also in its location. Prior to this find, Gorgonopsian remains were mainly known from high latitude regions such as Russia and South Africa. Josep Fortuny, lead author of the study, emphasized the importance of the fossil: “It is most likely the oldest gorgonopsian on the planet. The one we found in Mallorca is at least 270 million years old, and the other records of this group worldwide are, at the very least, slightly younger“.
Unique anatomical insights
Among the excavated remains, an almost complete leg has provided valuable insights into the animal’s locomotion. Unlike reptiles with their more splayed limbs, Gorgonopsians had vertically positioned legs, representing an intermediate stage between reptilian and mammalian locomotion. This adaptation allowed for more efficient walking and running.
A window into ancient ecosystems
During the Permian, Mallorca was not an island, but part of the supercontinent Pangea, located near the equator. The climate was monsoonal, with alternating wet and very dry seasons. The fossil site was probably a floodplain with temporary ponds where various animals, including the gorgonopsians, came to drink.
Implications for the origin of mammals
This discovery challenges previous ideas about the timing and geography of early mammalian ancestors. Fortuny explained, “There is a big time gap in the fossil record of therapsids, between when they are predicted to have evolved based on our knowledge of relationships of synapsids and when they actually show up in the fossil record. The new specimen helps to fill in part of that gap“.
The location of the find in Mallorca, which was once part of central Pangea, suggests an equatorial origin for gorgonopsians. This revelation opens new avenues for understanding the early diversification and spread of mammal-like creatures across the ancient supercontinent.
Mallorca’s rich fossil heritage
Despite its small size, Mallorca has an exceptional fossil record. While Pleistocene and Holocene fossils are well studied on the island, this discovery highlights the potential for groundbreaking finds from earlier periods. The island has yielded other remarkable fossils, including the world’s oldest mosquito and ancestors of horses and hippos.
The discovery of the oldest ancestor of mammals in Mallorca is a major milestone in paleontology. Not only does it push back the timeline of mammalian evolution, it also challenges our understanding of where these crucial evolutionary steps took place. As researchers continue to study this remarkable specimen, we can expect further insights into the origins of mammals and the diverse ecosystems that existed on Earth millions of years ago.
