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Fossil remains of the oldest human ancestors have been discovered in Dorset, England.

Teeth from two types of furry rat-like creatures have been found.

It's thought they lived around 145 million years ago, at the same time as some dinosaurs.

The animals are believed to be direct ancestors of most mammals living today including creatures like the blue whale and pigmy shrew, as well as humans.

Dr Steve Sweetman, from the University of Portsmouth, said: "Our 145 million-year-old teeth are undoubtedly the earliest yet known from the line of mammals that lead to our own species."

Researchers think both animals were probably nocturnal, which means they were awake and active during the night.

They think the smaller one liked to burrow and probably ate insects and the larger one might have eaten plants as well.

One of the species has been named Durlstotherium newmani, after Charlie Newman, who is a landlord from the village of Worth Matravers close to where the fossils were discovered. The other has been named Durlstodon Ensomi.

The area where the fossilised teeth were found is known as the Jurassic Coast because so many dinosaur fossils have been found there.