Fossils show Jurassic mammals lived longer and grew more slowly than today

A team analysed the fossils of an adult and a juvenile Krusatodon kirtlingtonensis, a mouse-sized mammal that lived about 166 million years ago, which were found on the island

Fossils found on the Isle of Skye show that small mammals living in the Jurassic period lived longer and matured more slowly than mammals living today. Picture: Duncan McGlynn/National Museums Scotland/PA

Mammals that lived alongside dinosaurs grew more slowly and lived longer than they do today, analysis of fossils found on the Isle of Skye has revealed.

A team led by researchers at National Museums Scotland analysed the fossils of an adult and a juvenile Krusatodon kirtlingtonensis, a mouse-sized mammal that lived about 166 million years ago, which were found on the island.