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Word: cynognathus (lookup in dictionary) (lookup stats)
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Like birds, mammals are revealed in the fossil records as descendants of reptiles. As long as 200,000,000 years ago some clumsy reptiles like Cynognathus ("Dog-Jaw") were already showing mammalian quirks around the mouth. By 100,000,000 years ago a few small creatures had probably crossed the mammalian line. Waiting for the gaudy Age of Reptiles to ring down its curtain, the little mammals had promising new equipment-hair for warmth, hot blood for cold weather, milk to feed their young on the move. Their brains grew bigger. When the mighty lizards died out, they were ready...

Author: /time Magazine | Title: Science: Big Old Mammal . | 1/20/1936 | See Source »

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