Around 56 million years ago, Earth went through a period of rapid global warming. During this time, some animals had to change how they ate to survive.
This period was called Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM).
A meat-eating mammal named Dissacus praenuntius, which lived during this time, began eating more bones, a surprising survival strategy.
The research was led by Andrew Schwartz, a PhD student at Rutgers University, with co-authors Robert Scott (Rutgers) and Larisa DeSantis (Vanderbilt University).
The team studied microscopic scratches and pits on fossil teeth to figure out what the animal had been eating. This method is called dental microwear texture analysis.
Before the climate warmed, Dissacus ate mainly flesh, similar to today’s cheetahs.
As prey became harder to find, Dissacus shifted to biting harder materials like bones, similar to how modern lions or hyenas feed.
Dissacus was about the size of a coyote, with wolf-like features, a large head, and even tiny hooves on its toes.
Fossil evidence suggests that Dissacus got smaller in size during this period, likely due to less available food, not just rising temperatures.
Schwartz says studying ancient warming helps us understand what might happen in today’s climate crisis: rising CO₂ and hotter temperatures etc.
The ability to eat different types of food was key to survival during the PETM.
Animals today that eat only specific foods, like pandas, may be more at risk from climate change. In contrast, raccoons or jackals, which eat many things, may cope better.
The study suggests that modern global warming could also lead to big shifts in predator-prey relationships and force animals to change their behaviour to survive.
Read more at Sciencedaily.com
The results were published in the journal Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology.