A new eutriconodont mammal from the early Cretaceous Jehol Biota of Liaoning, China

• Published in: Chinese science bulletin Vol. 59; no. 5-6; pp. 546 - 553
• Main Authors: Hou, Shilin, Meng, Jin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer-Verlag 01.02.2014; Science China Press
• Subjects: Chemistry/Food Science; China; dogs; Earth Sciences; Engineering; Humanities and Social Sciences; jaws; Life Sciences; multidisciplinary; new genus; new species; phylogeny; Physics; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); 中国; 亲缘关系; 哺乳动物; 外部形态; 新分类群; 早白垩世; 热河生物群; 辽宁; China; Liaoning; Mammalia; Jehol Biota; Early Cretaceous; Eutriconodonta; China
• ISSN: 1001-6538; 1861-9541
• DOI: 10.1007/s11434-013-0088-2

A new genus and species of eutriconodont mammal, Chaoyangodens lii gen. et sp. nov., from the Dawangzhangzi bed of Yixian Formation, Lingyuan, Lia- oning, is reported. The new species has a tooth formula I5- C1-P1-M3/i4-cl-pl-m4, unique among eutriconodonts in having only one premolar in lower and upper jaws, respectively, and a distinctive diastema between the canine and the premolar. Its simple incisors and reduced premolars show a mosaic combination of primitive and derived fea- tures. This new taxon adds to the diverse group of Jehol eutriconodonts. Among the known species from at least three horizons, there seems no evolutionary trend in mor- phology that is recognizable, except for that larger species are all from the Lujiatun bed of the Yixian Fro. A thorough and systematic analysis involving all the Jehol eu- triconodonts is needed to understand their phylogenetic relationships.