Sinodelphys

Sy-no-del-fiss.
By Liam Carter
Published on

Liam Carter

Paleoanthropologist

Liam Carter explores the roots of humanity by studying early human fossils and artifacts. His ground-breaking work has provided a deeper understanding of our ancestors' lifestyles and social structures.

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Carter, L. (2013, August 29). Sinodelphys. Prehistoric-wildlife. https://www.prehistoric-wildlife.com/species/sinodelphys/

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Name

Sinodelphys.

Phonetic

Sy-no-del-fiss.

Named By

Z.-X.‭ ‬Luo,‭ ‬Q.‭ ‬Ji,‭ ‬J.‭ ‬R.‭ ‬Wible‭ & ‬C.-X.‭ ‬Yuan‭ ‬-‭ ‬2003.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Mammalia,‭ ‬Metatheria.

Diet

Insectivore.

Species

S.‭ ‬szalayi‭

Size

About‭ ‬15‭ ‬centimetres long.

Known locations

China,‭ ‬Liaoning Province‭ ‬-‭ ‬Yixian Formation.

Time Period

Barremian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Almost complete individual including impressions of soft tissue and fur.

In Depth

       When described in‭ ‬2003,‭ ‬Sinodelphys was the oldest confirmed and definitive marsupial mammal.‭ ‬Sinodelphys was very small,‭ ‬only about fifteen centimetres long,‭ ‬and is thought to have lived most of its life either hidden up trees or amongst dense undergrowth well out of reach of predatory dinosaurs that would have been running around at the time.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬An Early Cretaceous tribosphenic mammal and metatherian evolution.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Science‭ ‬302:1934-1939.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Z.-X.‭ ‬Luo,‭ ‬Q.‭ ‬Ji,‭ ‬J.‭ ‬R.‭ ‬Wible‭ & ‬C.-X.‭ ‬Yuan‭ ‬-‭ ‬2003.

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