Jeholodens

Taxobox
name = "Jeholodens"
fossil_range = middle Cretaceous

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image_width = 250px
image_caption =
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Mammalia
ordo = Triconodonta
familia = Triconodontidae
genus = "Jeholodens"
genus_authority = Zhexi Luo, 1999
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = "J. jenkinsi"

"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.

Known only from a single 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 prensile fingers and toes) which hunted insects, its food, during the night. It is suspected to be a nocturnal creature because it had very large eyes which were roughly 5cm 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. It had forelimbs and it was likely to be capable of an upright stance.

According to "Biology" 9th edition by Mader, this mammal had the sprawling hindlimbs of a reptile but its forelimbs were under the belly, as in modern mammals.