Fossils of two new Jurassic mammals were found in China, one of which is a tree climber and the other a burrow dweller.

Paleontologists say these two animals reveal the biodiversity of mammals that began as early as 160 million years ago.

These fossils were originally uncovered in China. These animals are the size of two small shrew-size creatures classified as mammaliaformes that are extinct relatives of modern mammals.

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The Agilodocodon scansorius has claws used for climbing trees. Its teeth have adapted to feed on tree sap. It's also the earliest known tree dwelling mammaliform, says scientists from the University of Chicago and Beijing Museum of Natural History.

The Docofossor brachydactylus is also the earliest known subterranean mammaliaform. It's similar to modern African golden moles that have paws used like a shovel for burrowing.

These fossils support the evidence of the global establishment of the mammal species. It reveals how they evolved early and rapidly and adapted to their new environment and ecosystem.

This also debunks assumptions about the stumped evolution and diversification of mammals during the Mesozoic era dominated by dinosaurs.

According to  Zhe-Xi Luo a professor of organismal biology and anatomy from the University of Chicago, these new fossils reveal the earliest ancient mammals were apparently equally diverse in their feeding process and locomotor adaptations compared to modern mammals. The mammaliam success of the species was apparent long ago as it is today.

These fossil discoveries, among many others, are strong evidence of an early explosion of mammalian evolution that placed them on equal with as their dinosaur counterparts during the prehistoric era.

This also means dinosaurs weren't the only ones that dominated the Mesozoic landscapes as previously thought. These small mammals brought a large impact to ecological diversity that can be felt today.

Researchers say these Chinese mammal fossils also share a common ancestor with other extant mammals but apparently have no direct living descendants.

This study was published in the journal, Science 

Tags2 New Small Jurassic Mammals Found in China, University of Chicago, jurassic mammals, two fossils jurassic mammals small tiny china