Maotherium

Mow-fee-ree-um.
By John Stewart
Published on

John Stewart

Paleoecologist

John Stewart is a distinguished paleoecologist whose work has significantly advanced our understanding of prehistoric ecosystems. With over two decades dedicated to unearthing fossils across Asia and Africa

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Stewart, J. (2013, March 7). Maotherium. Prehistoric-wildlife. https://www.prehistoric-wildlife.com/species/maotherium/

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Name

Maotherium ‭(‬Mao’s beast‭)‬.

Phonetic

Mow-fee-ree-um.

Named By

G.‭ ‬W.‭ ‬Rougier,‭ ‬Q.‭ ‬Ji‭ & ‬M.‭ ‬J.‭ ‬Novacek‭ ‬-‭ ‬2003.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Mammalia,‭ ‬Symmetrodonta,‭ ‬Zhangheotheriidae.

Diet

Insectivore.

Species

M. sinensis

Size

About‭ ‬15‭ ‬centimetres long.

Known locations

China‭ ‬-‭ ‬Yixian Formation.

Time Period

Aptian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Almost complete individuals preserved flat.

In Depth

       A symmetrodont mammal from the Early Cretaceous of China,‭ ‬Maotherium would have been a small predatory of insects.‭ ‬Maotherium was named after the Chinese politician Mao Zedong.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬A new symmetrodont mammal with fur impressions from the Mesozoic of China.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Acta Geologica Sinica‭ ‬77‭(‬1‭)‬:7-14.‭ ‬-‭ ‬G.‭ ‬W.‭ ‬Rougier,‭ ‬Q.‭ ‬Ji‭ & ‬M.‭ ‬J.‭ ‬Novacek‭ ‬-‭ ‬2003.

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