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Chinanews, Beijing, Dec. 16 - The Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences announced that fossil evidence had proved that gliding1 mammals had come into being at least 125 million years ago, about 70 million years earlier than previous bat fossils suggested.
A complete fossil skeleton of a gliding mammal was found in the Mesozoic layer of Inner Mongolia. It was named Volaticotherium antiquus ("ancient gliding beast"). The fossil was about 12 to 14 cm, about the size of a flying squirrel, but with specialized2 teeth, unlike bats and squirrals. Its patagia are perfectly3 preserved, which might represent mammal's first attempt to conquer the sky. It can be inferred from this that the ancient flying mammals lived in the trees, Though it is not genetically4 related to today's gliding mammals, the ancient gliding beast still looks similar to them, which should be the result of natural selection.
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