A new mammal from the Lower Cretaceous Jehol Biota and implications for eutherian evolution

Author:

Wang Hai-Bing123ORCID,Hoffmann Simone4ORCID,Wang Dian-Can5ORCID,Wang Yuan-Qing126ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Beijing, People's Republic of China

2. Centre for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China

3. Key State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, People's Republic of China

4. Department of Anatomy, College of Osteopathic Medicine, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, NY, USA

5. Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Peking University School of Stomatology, 22 South Zhongguancun Avenue, Beijing, People's Republic of China

6. College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China

Abstract

Here we report on a new Early Cretaceous eutherian represented by a partial skeleton from the Jiufotang Formation at Sihedang site, Lingyuan City, Liaoning Province that fills a crucial gap between the earliest eutherians from the Yixian Formation and later Cretaceous eutherians. The new specimen reveals, to our knowledge for the first time in eutherians, that the Meckelian cartilage was ossified but reduced in size, confirming a complete detachment of the middle ear from the lower jaw. Seven hyoid elements, including paired stylohyals, epihyals and thyrohyals and the single basihyal are preserved. For the inner ear the ossified primary lamina, base of the secondary lamina, ossified cochlear ganglion and secondary crus commune are present and the cochlear canal is coiled through 360°. In addition, plesiomorphic features of the dentition include weak conules, lack of pre- and post-cingula and less expanded protocones on the upper molars and height differential between the trigonid and talonid, a large protoconid and a small paraconid on the lower molars. The new taxon displays an alternating pattern of tooth replacement with P3 being the last upper premolar to erupt similar to the basal eutherianJuramaia. Parsimony analysis places the new taxon withMontanalestes,SinodelphysandAmbolestesas a sister group to other eutherians.This article is part of the theme issue ‘The impact of Chinese palaeontology on evolutionary research’.

Funder

Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences

Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences

State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy

National Natural Science Foundation of China

Publisher

The Royal Society

Subject

General Agricultural and Biological Sciences,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

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