Sinoconodon

Sinoconodon
Temporal range: Early Jurassic
↓
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Synapsida
Order: Therapsida
Suborder: Cynodontia
Clade: Mammaliamorpha
Genus: †Sinoconodon
Patterson & Olson, 1961
Species: †S. rigneyi
Binomial name
Sinoconodon rigneyi
Patterson & Olson, 1961
Synonyms

Sinoconodon rigneyi[1] is an ancient mammaliamorph or early mammal (depending on systematic approach) that appears in the fossil record of China in the Sinemurian stage of the Early Jurassic period, about 193 million years ago. While in many traits very similar to non-mammlian synapsids, it possessed a special, secondarily evolved jaw joint between the dentary and the squamosal bones, which had replaced the primitive tetrapod one between the articular and quadrate bones, a trait commonly used to define mammals.[2]

Although the animal is closely related to Morganucodon, it is regarded as the most basal of the mammaliaforms.[3] It differed substantially from the more mammalian Morganucodon in its dental and growth habits. Like other non-mammalian tetrapods, such as reptiles and amphibians, it was polyphyodont, replacing many of its teeth throughout its lifetime, and it seems to have grown slowly but continuously until its death. Sinoconodon is thus less mammalian than early mammaliaforms like docodonts and morganucodonts.[2] Even the smallest known individuals had already begun the teething cycle of the front teeth, and combined with a poorly ossified jaw, it very probably did not suckle.[4] The combination of basal tetrapod and mammalian features makes it a unique transitional species. There are simply no animals like it alive today.[4]

Phylogeny [5]
Mammaliaformes 

 Adelobasileus

 Sinoconodon


 Morganucodon

 Megazostrodon

 Haramiyida


 Haldanodon

 Castorocauda

 Hadrocodium

 Mammalia








References

  1. ↑ Paleofile.com (net, info) . "Taxonomic lists- Mammals". Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  2. 1 2 Kielan-Jaworowska, Z; Luo, ZX; Cifelli, RL (2004). Mammals from the Age of Dinosaurs. Columbia University Press. Chapter 4. ISBN 9780231119184.
  3. ↑ Luo, ZX; Kielan-Jaworowska, Z; Cifelli, RL (2002). "In quest for a phylogeny of Mesozoic mammals". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 47 (1): 1–78.
  4. 1 2 Mammals of the Mesozoic: The least mammal-like mammals
  5. ↑ Close, Roger A.; Friedman, Matt; Lloyd, Graeme T.; Benson, Roger BJ (2015). "Evidence for a mid-Jurassic adaptive radiation in mammals". Current Biology. 25 (16): 2137–2142. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2015.06.047.


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