Microdocodon is a genus of docodontanmammaliaform from the Late Jurassic Yanliao Biota. It contains only a single species, Microdocodon gracilis, known from the Daohugou locality. It is unique for preserving the hyoid bone, which is almost unknown in the early mammal fossil record.
The species is notable for providing insight into the evolution of the ability to chew and suckle in early relatives of mammals, by preserving a nearly intact hyoid in the throat. This bone is important in mammals because it allows them to suckle, and move their tongue with precision. The complexity of the structure in Microdocodon suggests that chewing and suckle evolved before in the precursors to Mammalia, the mammaliaforms, but after their split with the earlier cynodonts. This supports previous conclusions that an important feature that marks crown mammals (Mammalia) from the mammaliaforms is the evolution of the middle ear, and the way in which it disconnected from its previous position in the mandible.[1]
Microdocodon is an especially small early mammal, thought to have been a shrew-like insectivore weighing about 9 grams. It was probably capable of climbing and living in trees. Microdocodon lived at the same time as semiaquatic Castorocauda, the subterranean mammaliaform Docofossor, and the arboreal Agilodocodon, all known from the Yanliao Biota.
microdocodon, genus, docodontan, mammaliaform, from, late, jurassic, yanliao, biota, contains, only, single, species, gracilis, known, from, daohugou, locality, unique, preserving, hyoid, bone, which, almost, unknown, early, mammal, fossil, record, temporal, r. Microdocodon is a genus of docodontan mammaliaform from the Late Jurassic Yanliao Biota It contains only a single species Microdocodon gracilis known from the Daohugou locality It is unique for preserving the hyoid bone which is almost unknown in the early mammal fossil record MicrodocodonTemporal range Late JurassicScientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClade SynapsidaClade TherapsidaClade CynodontiaClade MammaliaformesOrder DocodontaFamily TegotheriidaeGenus MicrodocodonZhou et al 2019Species M gracilisBinomial name Microdocodon gracilisZhou et al 2019Anatomy editThe species is notable for providing insight into the evolution of the ability to chew and suckle in early relatives of mammals by preserving a nearly intact hyoid in the throat This bone is important in mammals because it allows them to suckle and move their tongue with precision The complexity of the structure in Microdocodon suggests that chewing and suckle evolved before in the precursors to Mammalia the mammaliaforms but after their split with the earlier cynodonts This supports previous conclusions that an important feature that marks crown mammals Mammalia from the mammaliaforms is the evolution of the middle ear and the way in which it disconnected from its previous position in the mandible 1 Microdocodon is an especially small early mammal thought to have been a shrew like insectivore weighing about 9 grams It was probably capable of climbing and living in trees Microdocodon lived at the same time as semiaquatic Castorocauda the subterranean mammaliaform Docofossor and the arboreal Agilodocodon all known from the Yanliao Biota See also edit nbsp Paleontology portalList of synapsidsReferences edit Zhou Chang Fu Bhullar Bhart Anjan Neander April Martin Thomas Luo Zhe Xi 19 Jul 2019 New Jurassic mammaliaform sheds light on early evolution of mammal like hyoid bones Science 365 6450 276 279 Bibcode 2019Sci 365 276Z doi 10 1126 science aau9345 PMID 31320539 S2CID 197663503 nbsp This prehistoric therapsid related article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Microdocodon amp oldid 1201897064, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
