Repenomamus

Repenomamus
Temporal range: Early Cretaceous, 125–123.2 Ma
↓
Type of R. giganticus, Paleozoological Museum of China
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: †Eutriconodonta (?)
Family: †Gobiconodontidae
Genus: †Repenomamus
Li et al., 2001
Type species
†Repenomamus robustus
Li et al., 2001[1]
Species

†Repenomamus robustus Li et al., 2000
†Repenomamus giganticus Hu et al., 2005

Repenomamus (Latin: "reptile" (reptilis), "mammal" (mammalis)[2]) is a genus of opossum- to badger-sized gobiconodontid[3] mammal containing two species, Repenomamus robustus and Repenomamus giganticus. Both species are known from fossils found in China that date to the early Cretaceous period, about 125-123.2 million years ago. R. robustus is one of several Mesozoic mammals[7] for which there is good evidence that it fed on vertebrates, including dinosaurs. Though it is not entirely clear whether or not these animals primarily hunted live dinosaurs or scavenged dead ones, evidence for the former is present in fossilized remains showcasing the results of what was most likely a predation attempt by R. robustus directed at a specimen of the dinosaur Psittacosaurus lujiatunensis.[8] R. giganticus is among the largest mammals known from the Mesozoic era, only surpassed by Patagomaia.

  1. ^ Li; et al. (2001). "A new family of primitive mammal from the Mesozoic of western Liaoning, China". Chinese Science Bulletin. 46 (9): 782–785. Bibcode:2001ChSBu..46..782L. doi:10.1007/bf03187223. S2CID 129025369.
  2. ^ "Glossary. American Museum of Natural History". Archived from the original on 20 November 2021.
  3. ^ Marisol Montellano; James A. Hopson; James M. Clark (2008). "Late Early Jurassic Mammaliaforms from Huizachal Canyon, Tamaulipas, México". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 28 (4): 1130–1143. Bibcode:2008JVPal..28.1130M. doi:10.1671/0272-4634-28.4.1130. S2CID 128782275.
  4. ^ Wilson Gregory P, Riedel Jeremy A (2010). "New Specimen Reveals Delta Theroidan Affinities of the North American Late Cretaceous Mammal Nanocuris". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 30 (3): 872–884. Bibcode:2010JVPal..30..872W. doi:10.1080/02724631003762948. S2CID 53524747.
  5. ^ Christian DE MUIZON, Brigitte LANGE-BADRÉ (2007). "Carnivorous dental adaptations in tribosphenic mammals and phylogenetic reconstruction". Lethaia. 30 (4): 353–366. doi:10.1111/j.1502-3931.1997.tb00481.x.
  6. ^ Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska, Richard L. Cifelli, Zhe-Xi Luo (2004). "Chapter 12: Metatherians". Mammals from the Age of Dinosaurs: origins, evolution, and structure. New York: Columbia University Press. pp. 241–243. ISBN 978-0-231-11918-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ Other eutriconodonts and deltatheroidean metatherians have adaptations towards specialised carnivory[4][5][6]
  8. ^ Han, Gang; Mallon, Jordan C.; Lussier, Aaron J.; Wu, Xiao-Chun; Mitchell, Robert; Li, Ling-Ji (2023-07-18). "An extraordinary fossil captures the struggle for existence during the Mesozoic". Scientific Reports. 13 (1): 11221. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-37545-8. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 10354204. PMID 37464026.