All modern mammals are descendants of the paraphyletic non-mammaliaform Synapsida,
colloquially referred to as the “mammal-like reptiles.” It has long been assumed that these
mammalian ancestors were essentially reptile-like in their morphology, biology, and
behavior, ie, they had a small brain, displayed simple behavior, and their sensory organs
were unrefined compared to those of modern mammals. Recent works have, however,
revealed that neurological, sensory, and behavioral traits previously considered typically …