Fossil of a giant prehistoric egg-laying rat is unearthed surrounded by 38 offspring in a 'rarest of

[Free Vulcan]

A giant egg-laying rat with huge fangs that roamed Earth 184 million years ago has been unearthed in the badlands of Arizona.

This 'rarest of the rare' fossilised animal, around the size of a small dog, was unearthed alongside 38 offspring, which experts assume to be her own.

Finding well-preserved juveniles from Jurassic period, when dinosaurs ruled the Earth, are particularly unusual as they are often destroyed – or eaten – after death.

The clutch of young animals contains twice as many offspring that would be expected for a mammal, but is the standard litter size for a reptile.

To unearth so many young animals in one place is unprecedented.

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