What makes a mammal a mammal? Our spine, say scientists

by Unknown on September 20, 2018 in National Science Foundation

Reconstruction of Edaphosaurus, a primitive mammal ancestor; its long spines form a sail on its back.

Mammals are unique in many ways. We're warm-blooded and agile in comparison with our reptilian relatives.

But a new study, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and led by Harvard University researchers Stephanie Pierce and Katrina Jones, suggests we're unique in one more way -- the makeup of our spines. The researchers describe their finding in a paper published this week in the journal Science.

"The spine is basically like a series of beads on a string, ...

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Published September 20, 2018 at 11:30PM
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