Fossils reveal how bizarre mammal beat extinction

Animals that live on islands are among the most at risk from extinction. A remarkable eighty percent of extinctions occurring since 1500AD have been on islands, with inhabitants facing dangers from climate change, sea level rise, invasive species, and human interactions. However, new research presented this week at the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology conference in Alberta, Canada, suggests that one island mammal may hold the key to survival—a flexible diet.