Fossils of mankind's earliest ancestor discovered in England

Before we were apes, we were... rats? That’s what some scientists across the pond are saying.

While sifting through rocks and fossils in England, paleontologists from the University of Portsmouth discovered two teeth belonging to two different critters living 145 million years ago.

The pattern of the cuffs and the pattern of the teeth tell you what the animal was eating as well, so they are by far the most important fossils that we can find when we are looking for the remains of mammals.

The highly evolved teeth can pierce, cut, and crush food. They're perfect for the Early Cretaceous period and tromping around with dinosaurs. They also appeared worn, indicating longevity.

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Mammal Expert, Steve Sweetman, says the mammals were small, furry creatures and most likely nocturnal. One seems a possible burrower that ate insects and the other larger that may have been a plant eater.

But we aren’t the only ones who share their DNA. In addition to humans, they are also the ancestors to most mammals alive today, including the blue whale and the pygmy shrew.

The 145 million-year-old teeth are undoubtedly the earliest yet known from the line of mammals that scientists say lead to our own species.

The study was published in a paleontology journal.