Jeholodens
| Jeholodens | |
|---|---|
| |
| Type specimen, Geological Museum of China | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | †Eutriconodonta |
| Family: | †Jeholodentidae |
| Genus: | †Jeholodens Ji et al., 1999 |
| Type species | |
| †Jeholodens jenkinsi Ji et al., 1999
| |
Jeholodens is an extinct genus of primitive mammal belonging to the order Eutriconodonta, and which lived in present-day China during the Middle Cretaceous about 125 million years ago.[1]
Only one specimen has been formally described. This specimen (the holotype) consists of a virtually complete articulated skull and skeleton, it shared its corporal characteristics with most other Mesozoic mammals; it was a long-tailed, nocturnal tetrapod (with prehensile fingers and toes) which hunted insects, its food, during the night.[1]
It is suspected to be a
opossums. It also had grasping hands. By contrast, however, the hindlimbs retained primitive characters, suggesting a sprawling stance.[1][2]
Recent studies show that it was specialised to an
arboreal lifestyle, possessing prehensile hands.[3]
References
- ^ S2CID 4429536.
- ISBN 0-231-11918-6.