David and Goliath! Incredible fossil reveals a dinosaur locked in a fight to the death with a tiny badger-like mammal 125 million years ago

Scientists have revealed an incredible fossil of a dinosaur and badger-like mammal engaged in an eternal fight to the death.

The 125-million-year-old fossil records the dramatic moment when a carnivorous mammal attacked a large herbivorous dinosaur.

It’s some of the first evidence to show that mammals attacked dinosaurs larger than they were, rather than just targeting their young.

The dinosaur in the well-preserved fossil is a species of Psittacosaurus, which was about the size of a large dog and whose name translates to “parrot lizard.”

Meanwhile, the mammal in the fossil pair is a badger-like animal, named Repenomamus robustus.

While not large by dinosaur standards, it was one of the largest mammals during the Cretaceous Period, at a time when mammals had not yet come to dominate the Earth.

The fossil was collected in China’s Liaoning province and both skeletons are nearing completion.

If you look closely, you can see the mammal sitting on top of its prey, clutching the larger dinosaur’s jaws.

It can also be seen biting the dinosaur’s ribs, while using its back legs to grab hold of the dinosaur’s back leg.

The couple is thought to have been suddenly buried by mudslides and debris following a volcanic eruption.

Dr. Jordan Mallon, co-author of the study from the Canadian Museum of Nature, said: “The two animals are engaged in a deadly battle, closely intertwined, and it is some of the first evidence that actual predatory behavior by a mammal on a dinosaur can be seen.

“The coexistence of these two animals is not new, but what is new to science from this amazing fossil is the predatory behavior it exhibits.

“The weight of the evidence suggests that an active attack was underway.”

The findings were published in the journal Scientific Reports.