Biology:Liaoconodon

From HandWiki
Short description: Extinct family of mammals

Liaoconodon
Temporal range: Aptian, 120 Ma
Scientific classification e
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Clade: Eutriconodonta
Genus: Liaoconodon
Meng, Wang & Li, 2011
Species
  • L. hui Meng, Wang & Li, 2011 (type)

Liaoconodon is an extinct genus of early mammal from the early Cretaceous (early Aptian stage, approximately 120 Ma). It is a eutriconodont which lived in what is now the Jianchang of Liaoning Province, eastern China . It is known from the holotype IVPP V 16051, which consists of nearly complete skeleton and skull. It was found in the Jiufotang Formation (Jehol Biota) near Xiaotaizi, Lamadong. It was first named by Jin Meng, Yuanqing Wang and Chuankui Li in 2011 and the type species is Liaoconodon hui.[1]

Studies on its anatomy show that it was a semi-aquatic mammal, having a long body and paddle-like limbs.[2]

Phylogeny

Cladogram after Thomas Martin et al. 2015[3]

 Eutriconodonta 
Amphilestidae

Phascolotherium

Amphilestes

Amphidontidae

Hakusanodon

Juchilestes

Gobiconodontidae

Spinolestes

Gobiconodon

Repenomamus

Jeholodens

Yanoconodon

Liaoconodon

Volaticotheria

Volaticotherium

Argentoconodon

Triconodontidae

Trioracodon

Triconodon

Priacodon

Arundelconodon

Meiconodon

Astroconodon

Alticonodon

Corviconodon

References

  1. Jin Meng, Yuanqing Wang and Chuankui Li (2011). "Transitional mammalian middle ear from a new Cretaceous Jehol eutriconodont". Nature 472 (7342): 181–185. doi:10.1038/nature09921. PMID 21490668. 
  2. Meng Chen, Gregory Philip Wilson, A multivariate approach to infer locomotor modes in Mesozoic mammals, Article in Paleobiology 41(02) · February 2015 doi:10.1017/pab.2014.14
  3. Thomas Martin, Jesús Marugán-Lobón, Romain Vullo, Hugo Martín-Abad, Zhe-Xi Luo & Angela D. Buscalioni (2015). A Cretaceous eutriconodont and integument evolution in early mammals. Nature 526, 380–384. doi:10.1038/nature14905

Wikidata ☰ Q148096 entry