Rare Florida Fossil Redefines North American Porcupine Evolution

Discovery of a nearly complete porcupine skeleton bridges a 10-million-year gap in understanding porcupine migration and adaptation.

The fossil, found in a Florida limestone quarry, dates back to the Early Pleistocene era.
It exhibits a mix of traits from both North and South American porcupines, including a prehensile tail.
The study involved extensive research by a team of students and paleontologists at the Florida Museum of Natural History.
This finding suggests North American porcupines may have a much older lineage than previously thought.
Questions remain about the exact evolutionary path and the number of species that existed.