''Cherwellia'' is an extinct genus of

mammaliaform Mammaliaformes ("mammalian forms") is a clade that contains the crown group mammals and their closest extinct relatives; the group radiated from earlier probainognathian cynodonts. It is defined as the clade originating from the most recent comm ...

s, possibly belonging to Morganucodonta, that lived in what is now

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

during the Middle Jurassic. The type and only known species is ''Cherwellia leei''. It was first described in 2016 by Percy M. Butler and

Denise Sigogneau-Russell Denise Sigogneau-Russell (born ''c.'' 1941/42) is a French palaeontologist who specialises in mammals from the Mesozoic, particularly from France and the UK. She is currently based at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle. Background Denise S ...

from a single lower molar found at the

Kirtlington Quarry Kirtlington Quarry is a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest west of Kirtlington in Oxfordshire. It is a Geological Conservation Review site, and it is part of the Kirtlington Quarry Local Nature Reserve. Kirtlington Quarry is one of ...

of the

Forest Marble Formation The Forest Marble is a geological formation in England. Part of the Great Oolite Group, it dates to the late Bathonian stage of the Middle Jurassic.Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Middle Jurassic, Europe)." In: Weisha ...

Etymology

The generic epithet ''Cherwellia'' comes from the

River Cherwell The River Cherwell ( or ) is a tributary of the River Thames in central England. It rises near Hellidon, Northamptonshire and flows southwards for to meet the Thames at Oxford in Oxfordshire. The river gives its name to the Cherwell local g ...

, whereas the specific epithet ''leei'' honours the British artist A. J. Lee.

References

Morganucodonts Prehistoric cynodont genera Jurassic synapsids of Europe Bathonian life Jurassic England Fossils of England Fossil taxa described in 2016 Taxa named by Percy M. Butler Taxa named by Denise Sigogneau‐Russell {{Paleo-therapsid-stub