Jeholodens

Jeholodens Temporal range: Early Cretaceous, 125 Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Type specimen, National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo
Scientific classification
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 was a primitive mammal belonging to the Triconodonta family, 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]

Possible specimen displayed in Hong Kong Science Museum

Restoration

It is suspected to be a nocturnal creature because it had very large eyes which were roughly 5 cm across. This would have allowed it to have better night vision for catching insects. It was a relatively advanced mammal for its time and had larger shoulders blades and collar bone; it also had grasping hands.^[1]

References

1. Qiang, J.; Zhexi, L.; Shu-An, J. (1999). "A Chinese triconodont mammal and mosaic evolution of the mammalian skeleton". Nature 398 (6725): 326–30. doi:10.1038/18665. PMID 10192332.