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A football-size creature may have been among the earliest plant-eating land animals

Tyrannoroter heberti, discovered via 3D scans of a fossil skull, shows early herbivory among tetrapods existed 307 million years ago, pushing back evolutionary timelines.

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By Lily Hautau, CNN (CNN) — A chunky, squat creature that roamed Earth 307 million years ago is helping scientists understand how plant-eating animals first appeared on land. The newly described species is one of the earliest known tetrapods — or four-limbed animals — to show evidence of having a plant-based diet. The discovery, detailed in a study that was published Tuesday in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, centers on a skull found in …

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Tyrannoroter Heberti: the Ball-Sized Creature that Would Be One of the First Herbivorous Land Animals

A robust, stubborn creature that roamed the Earth 307 million years ago is helping scientists understand how herbivorous animals appeared for the first time on dry land. The species just described is one of the most...

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A football-size creature may have been among the earliest plant-eating land animals

Scientists found a 307 million-year-old fossil, Tyrannoroter heberti, revealing one of the earliest known land vertebrates with teeth adapted for eating plants.

·Atlanta, United States
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CNN broke the news in Atlanta, United States on Wednesday, February 11, 2026.
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