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About Cynognathus:
One of the most fascinating of all ancient creatures, Cynognathus may have been the most mammalian of all the so-called "mammal-like reptiles." This member of the cynodont ("dog-tooth") family that preceded the dinosaurs was a fast, fierce predator, much like a modern wolf. Clearly it was successful in its evolutionary niche, because its remains have been found on three continents: Africa, South America, and Antarctica.
What's most interesting about Cynognathus is that it seems to have had many "modern" features normally associated with mammals (which evolved tens of millions of years later). Paleontologists believe this reptile may have sported hair, and may have given birth to live young (rather than laying eggs). Most startlingly, evidence points to Cynognathus having a warm-blooded, "mammalian" metabolism, quite unlike most reptiles of its era.
