Unravelling the origins of endothermy via semicircular canal biomechanics in non-mammaliamorph probainognathians

Our recently published article in Nature on the origins of endothermy sparked considerable new hope to settle one of the oldest mysteries of paleontology: the origins of mammalian warm-bloodedness (i.e., endothermy). Despite attempting to scan multiple specimens that are in the phylogenetic borderline of Mammaliamorpha, the first synapsid clade retrieved as endothermic, none of those scans did not retrieve usable results. Therefore, our previous analysis only made use of three non-mammaliamorph probainognathian species, which is admittedly unsatisfactory to resolve the debate. Hence, we propose to scan using propagation phase-contrast tomography various key specimens to extract their inner ear anatomy and internal cranial osteology. Thus, through the use of phylogenetic comparative methods, a broad extant baseline comparative sample, and biomechanical principles we can estimate the body temperature of these mammalian ancestors and accurately predict the origin of endothermy.