[Animals] This is how mammals became the "most successful" life form on Earth 300 million years ago

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After 300 million years, evolution caused mammals to experience less stress when eating. Only then do we become the "most successful" lineage that exists.
Prehistoric mammals did not have to undergo radical changes to their bodies to ensure their persistence on Earth. On the contrary, according to a recent study published in Communications Biology, the evolution of mammals led to fewer and fewer bones in their skulls.

With a change in diet, and the progressive modification of the bone structure of their heads, mammals of 300 million years ago began to experience less stress when eating. Above all, the specialists explain, because they required less jaw force to bite their prey. This is what we know.

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For the sake of a more efficient bite
For decades, paleontologists have observed that prehistoric animals with backbones have multiple bones in their skulls. Especially in the jaw joint, which allows them a more accurate and powerful bite. It seems that the evolution of mammals took another path during the Cretaceous period, about 300 million years ago.

Based on computer simulations, a team of paleontologists from the University of Birmingham found that mammals began to experience less stress when the bones in their skulls shrank. This simplification of their bone structure did not make their bite stronger, but rather more efficient.

Lead author Dr. Stephan Lautenschlager, senior professor of paleobiology at the institution, explains the following about this phenomenon:

“THE REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF BONES LEADS TO A REDISTRIBUTION OF STRESS IN THE SKULL OF THE FIRST MAMMALS”, DETAILS THE SPECIALIST FOR EUREKA ALERT. "STRESS WAS REDIRECTED FROM THE PART OF THE SKULL HOUSING THE BRAIN TO THE MARGINS OF THE SKULL DURING FEEDING."

This change may have promoted an increase in brain size in Cretaceous mammals. Not only that: it seems that the evolution of mammals caused these animals to become smaller and smaller. This is how they began to feed on insects, "which allowed [...] the development of the wide range of creatures that we see around us today," adds the paleontologist.

It was only in this way that our ancient ancestors proliferated in the shadow of the dinosaurs, according to the study results. However, our lineage had to wait for these dominant reptiles to become extinct before it diversified to the level we see today. It was thus, according to the Birmingham team, that we became the most successful lineage of animals ever seen on Earth.

https://www.ngenespanol.com/animales/evolucion-de-los-mamiferos/