Nearly complete Mongolian fossil rewrites early mammal evolution

A nearly complete skeleton found in Mongolia's Gobi Desert has been identified as a new species, Tamirkhan balcarceli, the most complete zhelestid specimen yet. Published in Nature, the find shows zhelestids were not placental mammals but belonged to the zalambdalestoid group, overturning a 40-year-old interpretation based largely on fossil teeth.

• New species Tamirkhan balcarceli described in the journal Nature
• Animal measured 6-7 inches from head to tail
• Rounded teeth were convergent evolution, not a sign of placental kinship
• Specimen was found in the eastern Gobi Desert in Mongolia