Canadian fossil reveals one of the first plant-eating animals

Scientists have unearthed in Canada’s province of Nova Scotia the skull of a creature dating to about 307 million years ago that is one of the oldest-known plant-eating land vertebrates, representing a pivotal juncture in animal evolution.

The creature, named Tyrannoroter heberti, possessed a somewhat triangle-shaped skull that facilitated large cheek muscles for eating tough plant material, with a mouth full of specialized teeth to crush, shred and grind vegetation.

Tyrannoroter...