An early predecessor to mammals could swim, suckle and swallow

Nature, Published online: 07 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03069-0

A fossil of an early ancestor of mammals from the Jurassic period reveals a mammal-like throat passage (pharynx) and throat bones (hyoids). It fills a gap in our knowledge about throat features in the animals from which modern mammals evolved their ability to swallow as adults and suckle milk as babies.