Meet Maya. She’s a sweet little fuzzball who loves nothing more than to curl up in your pocket. At least during the day. When the sun goes down, that’s when the party starts!

Wait a second…what’s a squirrel doing in a dinosaur book? Well I’m glad you asked. So far, her kind is the first mammal discovered that nourishes her babies in utero with a placenta. A placental mammal. This is unique from marsupials like kangaroos, or egg laying monotremes like platypus. 🙂
My little girl keeps calling Maya a squirrel (she’s 2 🙂 ), but she’s a bit more like a tree shrew. Little Maya has sharp little teeth that are great for just about anything she can get her paws on, but bugs are her favorite. That slender nose helps her sniff them out in the dark. She has long arms and sharp claws that make her completely at home in the tree tops.
When you’re the size of a squirrel it’s good to be out of reach of giant dinosaurs!
If you want to learn more, here’s a great news article with a picture of the beautiful fossil. It even has fur!
Making progress… Continue reading →