The 'ice mouse' eked out a living in the Cretaceous dirt, where it survived months of complete darkness every winter.
The "ice mouse" eked out a living in the Cretaceous dirt, where it survived months of complete darkness every winter.Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science newsThe so-called “ice mouse” lived on the fringes of ancient Alaska. Likely guided by a keen sense of smell, it burrowed under leaf cover or underground for worms and insects. Above grew conifer trees, ferns, ancient herbs and horsetail plants.
Some 73 million years ago, it would have lived alongside other small mammals, birds and much larger dinosaurs. During that time, northern Alaska would have extended even further north, into the arctic. And for four months every winter, the Earth’s orbit would have plunged the region into darkness. weighed no more than about 11 grams, or two sheets of copy paper. Scientists discovered the miniscule mammal after finding several of its teeth, each of them about the size of a large grain of sand.
Despite the new species’ scientific name, the researchers say the animal more closely resembles a shrew or vole than a mouse. But what a consequential shrew-like creature it is: With its small size, it calls into question previous assumptions about arctic mammals. Most commonly, animals grow larger at higher latitudes to reduce their surface area-to-volume ratio and conserve energy. Larger bodies also allow for greater fat stores, which can be used for hibernation.A Highly Efficient Animal
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