An important discovery has excited the scientific community in the Feke district of Adana. A specimen belonging to the species Batodonoides vanhouteni, believed to be the world’s oldest and smallest mammal, was found by a farmer in the region. Here are the details…
Important Discovery in Feke, Adana: The World’s Oldest and Smallest Mammal Found
Batodonoides vanhouteni is considered one of the oldest mammals, having lived approximately 53 million years ago, and is recognized as the smallest mammal species known to date. Veterinarian Tevfik Yüceli, speaking about this discovery, emphasized that these animals are harmless. In the event of another discovery, similar creatures should be left undisturbed in their natural habitats and reported to the Nature Conservation and National Parks teams.
Belonging to the extinct mammalian family Nyctitheriidae, this animal resembles a mouse in appearance but is much smaller in size. First discovered in fossil remains in the United States in 1998, its teeth measure less than 1 millimeter.
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Veterinarian Tevfik Yüceli, who works in the region, commented on the discovery:
“This creature is the earliest mammal to have lived on Earth, anatomically resembling a mouse but much smaller. It weighs 1.3 grams, with teeth smaller than 1 millimeter. This is very exciting for our region…”
“This animal resembles a mouse but is not one. It poses no harm to anyone. Therefore, upon encountering such creatures, it is important to report them to nature conservation authorities. It was seen on Earth 53 million years ago. Its discovery was first made in America in 1998. It has been seen in rare areas in our country before. It was first seen in our Feke district and excited us.”
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