The fossil record, a tantalizing glimpse into the past, often leaves us yearning for more. We crave the perfect skeletons of baby dinosaurs, the tracks and traces that could reveal long-contested prehistoric behaviors. But sometimes, our wishes come true. In 2019, the discovery of Lisowicia, an elephant-sized, beaked, tusked herbivore from the Late Triassic, shattered our preconceptions. This creature, far larger than expected for its time, challenged the narrative that dinosaurs kept mammals small and traumatized throughout the Mesozoic era. It made me wonder: if protomammals could reach such startling sizes, what about the strange, varied, and fuzzy mammals themselves? The answer, it seems, is that some Mesozoic mammals were indeed much bigger than we anticipated. Paleontologist Pedro Victor Buck and his colleagues have uncovered evidence of this in Brazil's Botucatu Formation. The tracks found there, more than five inches across, are remarkably large for an Early Cretaceous mammaliaform, comparable to those left by large mountain lions today. Based on body proportions, the authors suggest the tracemaker was about five feet long, a size that defies the stereotyped image of small, snuffling mammaliaforms. This discovery raises a deeper question: how many times and in how many places did mammals and their relatives become much larger than ever expected? The Mesozoic era, with its long history, may hold more surprises than we can imagine. The narrative that Mesozoic mammals were small and subordinate creatures, constantly overshadowed by dinosaurs, is being challenged. While it's not true that all Mesozoic mammals came in the vast array of body sizes we see today, it is clear that some did grow to impressive sizes. As we continue to explore the fossil record, we should be on the lookout for these larger mammals, and consider the possibility that they played a more significant role in shaping the Mesozoic world than we previously thought. Beyond the realm of prehistoric creatures, I find inspiration in other forms. In the latest issue of Lilac Peril's IDOLS, I've penned an essay about why the xenomorph queen is my icon, a monster after my own heart. I also invite readers to explore my blog, where I delve into a significant change in the narrative of plant evolution, and to my latest work for I Want My DinoTV, which explores the message of creativity and individuality in Stanley and the Dinosaurs. Additionally, I'm excited to announce my upcoming events, including a book club session at Snug Books and a tour of the East Coast for my book, Tyrant Lizard Queen. In my free time, I've been enjoying the video game Mina the Hollower, which scratches the same itch as Hollow Knight, and I eagerly await the release of ALIENS: Fireteam Elite 2, a game that promises to be even more intense. Lastly, a fascinating discovery of Cretaceous liverworts in Spain has revealed two different growth forms, narrowing down their habitat preferences. These findings highlight the ongoing surprises and insights that the fossil record continues to offer, reminding us that the past is full of mysteries waiting to be unraveled.
