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Ichthyoconodon
''Ichthyoconodon'' is an extinct genus of eutriconodont mammal from the Lower Cretaceous of Morocco. It is notable for having been found in a unique marine location, and the shape of its teeth suggests an unusual, potentially fish-eating ecological niche. Analysis suggests it is part of a group of gliding mammals that includes '' Volaticotherium''. Description ''Ichthyoconodon'' is only known from two molar teeth from Anoual Syncline sediments of Morocco, in the Ksar Metlili Formation which dates to the Berriasian. These teeth possess characteristics associated with volaticotherian eutriconodontan mammals. The molars are only around 4 millimeters long, a size comparable to the related species ''Jugulator''. They are compressed into blade-like shape, and arranged in a line, with a slight recurve, similar to other animals in this group such as '' Argentoconodon''. Etymology ''Ichthyoconodon'' essentially means "fish cone tooth", from the Greek ιχθυς, "fish", κῶνος, " ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Volaticotheria
Volaticotherini is a clade of eutriconodont mammals from the Mesozoic. In addition to the type genus ''Volaticotherium'', it includes the genera '' Argentoconodon'', ''Ichthyoconodon'', and potentially '' Triconolestes''. Since most remains are primarily teeth, they are foremostly diagnosticated by their highly distinctive molars. However, the remains of one species, '' Volaticotherium antiquum'', show that at least some members of this clade were capable of gliding. and '' Argentoconodon'' shares similar post-cranial features that also indicate aerial locomotion. As such, this clade contains some of the oldest known aerial mammals, alongside the various gliding haramiyidans. Definition Volaticotherini is phylogenetically defined as the clade derived from the most recent common ancestor of ''Argentoconodon'', ''Ichthyoconodon,'' and ''Volaticotherium''. History ''Ichthyoconodon'' was the first described member of this group, back in 1995, previously usually ranked among eu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Volaticotheria
Volaticotherini is a clade of eutriconodont mammals from the Mesozoic. In addition to the type genus ''Volaticotherium'', it includes the genera '' Argentoconodon'', ''Ichthyoconodon'', and potentially '' Triconolestes''. Since most remains are primarily teeth, they are foremostly diagnosticated by their highly distinctive molars. However, the remains of one species, '' Volaticotherium antiquum'', show that at least some members of this clade were capable of gliding. and '' Argentoconodon'' shares similar post-cranial features that also indicate aerial locomotion. As such, this clade contains some of the oldest known aerial mammals, alongside the various gliding haramiyidans. Definition Volaticotherini is phylogenetically defined as the clade derived from the most recent common ancestor of ''Argentoconodon'', ''Ichthyoconodon,'' and ''Volaticotherium''. History ''Ichthyoconodon'' was the first described member of this group, back in 1995, previously usually ranked among eu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eutriconodonta
Eutriconodonta is an order of early mammals. Eutriconodonts existed in Asia, Africa, Europe, North and South America during the Jurassic and the Cretaceous periods. The order was named by Kermack ''et al.'' in 1973 as a replacement name for the paraphyletic Triconodonta. Traditionally seen as the classical Mesozoic small mammalian insectivores, discoveries over the years have shown them to be among the best examples of the diversity of mammals in this time period, including a vast variety of bodyplans, ecological niches and locomotion methods. Classification "Triconodonta" had long been used as the name for an order of early mammals which were close relatives of the ancestors of all present-day mammals, characterized by molar teeth with three main cusps on a crown that were arranged in a row. The group originally included only the family Triconodontidae and taxa that were later assigned to the separate family Amphilestidae, but was later expanded to include other taxa such ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Volaticotherium
''Volaticotherium antiquum'' (meaning "ancient gliding beast") is an extinct, gliding, insectivorous mammal that lived in Asia during the Jurassic period, around 164 mya. It is the only member of the genus ''Volaticotherium''. The discovery of ''Volaticotherium'' provided the earliest-known record of a gliding mammal (70 million years older than the next oldest example), until the discovery of the contemporary haramiyidans ''Maiopatagium'', ''Vilevolodon'' and ''Xianshou'', and provided further evidence of mammalian diversity during the Mesozoic Era. The closely related and significantly older ''Argentoconodon'' shows similar post-cranial adaptations for aerial locomotion also seen in ''Volaticotherium''. Discovery The only known fossil of ''Volaticotherium'' was recovered from the Daohugou Beds of Ningcheng County, Inner Mongolia, China. The age of the Daohugou Beds is currently uncertain and the subject of debate, but most studies suggest an age of around 164 plus or minus ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jugulator (mammal)
''Jugulator'' is an extinct genus of mammals from the Cretaceous of North America. It contains one species, ''Jugulator amplissimus''. A eutriconodont, it is known from the Cedar Mountain Formation, and is both a large sized and possibly ecologically specialised taxon, showcasing the diversity of mammals in the Mesozoic. Description ''Jugulator'' is known primarily from isolated teeth and dentaries. The species is most distinctive in regards to its large size, being among the largest mammals in the region, some lower molars exceeding 5 mm in length and with an estimated body weight of about 750 g. The medial lower incisor is greatly enlarged, with a mitten-shaped crown that bears sharp cutting surfaces. Phylogeny Always recognised as a triconodontid eutriconodont, the most recent phylogenetic studies recover ''Jugulator'' as the sister taxon of a clade comprising ''Volaticotherium'', ''Ichthyoconodon'', ''Triconolestes'', and ''Argentoconodon'', known as Volaticotherini.A. O ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Triconolestes
''Triconolestes'' is an extinct genus of Late Jurassic eutriconodont mammal from the Morrison Formation, present in stratigraphic zones 4.Foster, J. (2007). "Appendix." ''Jurassic West: The Dinosaurs of the Morrison Formation and Their World''. Indiana University Press. pp. 327-329. Known from only a single molar, it is a small mammal typically considered an amphilestid. However, it has also been compared to '' Argentoconodon'', which has been considered a volaticothere related to gliding mammals such as ''Volaticotherium'' and ''Ichthyoconodon''. See also * List of prehistoric mammals * Paleobiota of the Morrison Formation The Morrison Formation is a distinctive sequence of Late Jurassic sedimentary rock that is found in the western United States, which has a wide assortment of taxa represented in its fossil record, including dinosaur fossils in North America. It is ... References * Foster, J. (2007). Jurassic West: The Dinosaurs of the Morrison Formation and Their World. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Argentoconodon
''Argentoconodon'' (meaning "Argentina cone tooth") is an extinct genus of theriimorph mammal from the Cañadón Asfalto Formation of the Cañadón Asfalto Basin in Patagonia. When originally described, it was known only from a single molariform tooth, which possessed a combination of primitive and derived features. The tooth is currently held in the Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio, where it was given the specimen number MPEF-PV 1877. New material described in 2011 show that ''Argentoconodon'' was similar to '' Ichthyoconodon'', ''Jugulator'' and ''Volaticotherium'' within the family Triconodontidae, and possibly also '' Triconolestes''. Aerial locomotion Several postcranial similarities to ''Volaticotherium'' suggest that ''Argentoconodon'' was capable of gliding. In particular, its femur shares the same shape and proportions as its more complete relative, being highly specialised and without a femoral head, being less competent in rotational movement but more usefu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ksar Metlili Formation
The Ksar Metlili Formation is a geological formation in eastern High Atlas of Morocco, it is late Tithonian to Berriasian In the geological timescale, the Berriasian is an age/stage of the Early/Lower Cretaceous. It is the oldest subdivision in the entire Cretaceous. It has been taken to span the time between 145.0 ± 4.0 Ma and 139.8 ± 3.0 Ma (million years ago) ... in age. It is approximately thick and primarily consists of mudstone and sandstone, with thin calcareous beds. One of these calcareous beds near the middle of the sequence is an important microvertebrate locality. Subsequent to the original site, several other localities have been sampled. The depositional environment is thought to be near shore deltaic. Fossil content Amphibians Lepidosaurs Dinosaurs Mammals References {{reflist Geologic formations of Morocco Jurassic System of Africa Tithonian Stage Jurassic Morocco Upper Cretaceous Series of Africa Berriasian Stage Cretaceous Mor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ray-finned Fish
Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fishes, is a class of bony fish. They comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. The ray-finned fishes are so called because their fins are webs of skin supported by bony or horny spines (rays), as opposed to the fleshy, lobed fins that characterize the class Sarcopterygii (lobe-finned fish). These actinopterygian fin rays attach directly to the proximal or basal skeletal elements, the radials, which represent the link or connection between these fins and the internal skeleton (e.g., pelvic and pectoral girdles). By species count, actinopterygians dominate the vertebrates, and they constitute nearly 99% of the over 30,000 species of fish. They are ubiquitous throughout freshwater and marine environments from the deep sea to the highest mountain streams. Extant species can range in size from ''Paedocypris'', at , to the massive ocean sunfish, at , and the long-bodied oarfish, at . The vast majority of Actinoptery ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sea Turtles
Sea turtles (superfamily Chelonioidea), sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira. The seven existing species of sea turtles are the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhead, Kemp's ridley, and olive ridley sea turtles. All six of the sea turtle species present in US waters (all of those listed above except the flatback) are listed as endangered and/or threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The seventh sea turtle species is the flatback, which exists in the waters of Australia, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. Sea turtles can be separated into the categories of hard-shelled (cheloniid) and leathery-shelled ( dermochelyid).Wyneken, J. 2001. The Anatomy of Sea Turtles. U.S Department of Commerce NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-470, 1-172 pp. There is only one dermochelyid species which is the leatherback sea turtle. Description For each of the seven types of sea turtles, females and males are the sa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Theropods
Theropoda (; ), whose members are known as theropods, is a dinosaur clade that is characterized by hollow bones and three toes and claws on each limb. Theropods are generally classed as a group of saurischian dinosaurs. They were ancestrally carnivorous, although a number of theropod groups evolved to become herbivores and omnivores. Theropods first appeared during the Carnian age of the late Triassic period 231.4 million years ago ( Ma) and included all the large terrestrial carnivores from the Early Jurassic until at least the close of the Cretaceous, about 66 Ma. In the Jurassic, birds evolved from small specialized coelurosaurian theropods, and are today represented by about 10,500 living species. Biology Diet and teeth Theropods exhibit a wide range of diets, from insectivores to herbivores and carnivores. Strict carnivory has always been considered the ancestral diet for theropods as a group, and a wider variety of diets was historically considered a characteri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mesozoic
The Mesozoic Era ( ), also called the Age of Reptiles, the Age of Conifers, and colloquially as the Age of the Dinosaurs is the second-to-last era of Earth's geological history, lasting from about , comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Period (geology), Periods. It is characterized by the dominance of archosaurian reptiles, like the dinosaurs; an abundance of conifers and ferns; a hot Greenhouse and icehouse earth, greenhouse climate; and the tectonic break-up of Pangaea. The Mesozoic is the middle of the three eras since Cambrian explosion, complex life evolved: the Paleozoic, the Mesozoic, and the Cenozoic. The era began in the wake of the Permian–Triassic extinction event, the largest well-documented mass extinction in Earth's history, and ended with the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, another mass extinction whose victims included the non-avian dinosaurs, Pterosaur, pterosaurs, Mosasaur, mosasaurs, and Plesiosaur, plesiosaurs. The Mesozoic was a time of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
