Juramaia Sinensis

Prehistoric Scratchpad PhBP Po10BP

The oldest known Eutherian, ancestor to today's placental mammals. Found in China. Lived in the late Triassic Period. Adapted for climbing trees.

Juramaia Sinensis Web Pages

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metatheria

Classification

• Phylum Chordata (Chordates) - Animals with a backbone or closely related to one.
  • Class Mammalia
    • Order Multituberculata (Multituberculates) - A group of successful rodent-like mammals that with origins in the Triassic and lasted until after the fall of the dinosaurs until they were out-competed by rodents and other mammals. The longest lived group of mammals. Ate mostly flowering plants.
    • Subclass Theria (Therians) - Mammals which give live birth to their young without a protective shell.
      • Clade Metatheria (Metatherians) - Clade of mammals more closely related to Kangaroos than humans. Many of these species were wiped out along with the Dinosaurs, allowing placental mammals to take their place.
      • Clade Eutheria (Eutherians) - Broad infraclass including placental mammals and close relatives.
        • Species Juramaia Sinensis - The oldest known Eutherian, ancestor to today's placental mammals. Found in China. Lived in the late Triassic Period. Adapted for climbing trees.
        • Infraclass Placentalia - Infraclass of Mammals that contain a Placenta. They arose quickly after the demise of the dinosaurs, the first fossils found 1000,000 years after the extinction.

Juramaia Sinensis In the News

Earliest Ancestor to Placental Mammals Found (Aug 2011)

• http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110824131535.htm