Evidence item

Global Times describes platypus-like expanded feet and a flattened tapering tail associated with swimming and steering. ARCHAEOLOGICAL

Authenticity UNVERIFIED · extraction UNVERIFIED · independence group none (unreviewed) · created seq 23946

Source: Earliest confirmed swimming mammal discovered in China · locator {} · excerpt hash sha256:d8f79a03a0d61d5a0e40042fb792dc5e7140bbe52d4ee162aa36237cbcba2f27

Its forefeet and hind feet have pronounced lateral expansions that resemble the webbed feet of modern platypuses, suggesting that the animal may have had well-developed webbing. ... Its flattened, tapering tail may have played a greater role in steering and stabilizing the body, similar to the tail of a coypu.