Paleontologists Make Fascinating Discovery of Ice Mouse Fossil in Northern Alaska
Paleontologists in northern Alaska have made an incredible discovery, unearthing the fossilized remains of a tiny mammal that lived in extreme cold conditions approximately 73 million years ago. The findings, published in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, shed light on the ancient ecosystem of northern Alaska and provide insight into how animals adapted to drastic seasonal climate changes.
Named Sikuomys mikros, the “ice mouse,” as it has been called, belonged to the now-extinct family Gypsonictopidae and resembled a modern-day shrew. Despite its misleading name, the ice mouse actually weighed less than an aluminum soda can and survived year-round in the northern region of Alaska, which was much farther north than it is today.
According to researchers, the ice mouse likely remained active throughout the year, burrowing underground and feeding on insects and worms. The new species was identified based on a few minuscule teeth, each the size of a grain of sand.
The discovery of the ice mouse fossils along the banks of the Colville River in a remote area that can only be reached by snowmobile or bush plane is especially significant. The region, known as the Prince Creek Formation, offers a rare glimpse into an ancient world that was home to dinosaurs, small mammals, and birds.
Scientists believe that the small size of the ice mouse may have been due to limited food availability during the winter months. It is also speculated that this species and its relatives may have survived the meteorite crash that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs by burrowing underground.
“This discovery provides us with valuable information about the ancient ecosystem of northern Alaska and how animals adapted to extreme climate conditions,” said one of the co-authors of the study, a paleontologist from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
The study was a collaborative effort between paleontologists from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Florida State University, and the University of California, Berkeley. The researchers hope that their findings will lead to further exploration and understanding of the prehistoric world that once existed in the northernmost parts of the planet.
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