Liaoconodon: Research Database
Mammalia (Trechnotheria) · Early Cretaceous (~120 MYA) · Asia — China (Liaoning Province)
Research Note: Liaoconodon was an early mammal from the Early Cretaceous of Liaoning, China — significant for showing intermediate features between more basal mammals and later therian mammals, providing important evidence for mammal evolutionary diversification during the Cretaceous.
| Research Finding | Status | Grade | Year | Method | Citation | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Contessi 2013: Liaoconodon and mammal diversity in the Early Cretaceous of China Cretaceous Research | Confirmed | A | 2013 | Fossil | Contessi, Cretaceous Research | Diversity |
Bi et al. 2018: New data on Liaoconodon and early mammal evolution PeerJ | Confirmed | B | 2018 | Fossil | Bi et al., PeerJ | Anatomy |
What We Still Do Not Know About Liaoconodon
- Complete skeletal morphology.
- Phylogenetic relationships within early mammals.
- Ecological role.
In Depth
Liaoconodon is an interesting genus of mammal that lived in China during the latter half of the early Cretaceous. The ear structure of Liaoconodon has been identified as being transitional, helping to reveal how primitive ear structures in mammals developed to what we see in later more advanced forms.
Further Reading
- Transitional mammalian middle ear from a new Cretaceous Jehol eutriconodont. - Nature 472:181-185. - J. Meng, Y. Wang & C. Li - 2011.
