Lystrosaurus

Consider Lystrosaurus the ultimate survivor. This pig-sized mammal relative was one of the few species to live through the world's worst mass extinction—a catastrophic climate change that killed 70% of Earth's land animals around 251 million years ago.

The key to its survival was its lifestyle. Not a picky eater, Lystrosaurus thrived on a wide variety of plants that it harvested using its tusks and horny beak. Plus, its strong front limbs and flattened claws made it a powerful burrower. The underground tunnels it dug provided shelter from desert-like conditions aboveground.

The Field Museum holds a significant fossil collection of Lystrosaurus, an animal that has been found in Africa, Antarctica, and Asia. Its wide distribution helps support the theory of plate tectonics and the existence of Pangaea, the ancient supercontinent.

Scientists at The Field Museum continue to study fossils of Lystrosaurus and other species that lived through the world's worst mass extinction. These specimens help researchers learn more about the effects of climate change and the evolution of traits that helped animals survive.