Fossils document evolutionary changes of jaw joint to mammalian middle ear

Nature, Published online: 03 April 2024; doi:10.1038/s41586-024-07235-0

A new morganucodontan-like species from the Jurassic in China shows evidence of a loss of load-bearing function in the articular–quadrate jaw joint, which probably had a role in the evolution of the mammalian middle ear.