Jeholodens fossil map
Where fossils of Jeholodens have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 130 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 130 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 125.77–119.57 million years ago (Barremian to Aptian) |
| Periods | Cretaceous |
| Named by | Ji et al. 1999 |
| Fossil records | 2 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | China |
| Rock formations | Yixian |
About Jeholodens
Jeholodens is an extinct genus of primitive mammal belonging to the order Eutriconodonta, and which lived in present-day China during the Middle Cretaceous about 125 million years ago.
Only one specimen has been formally described. This specimen (the holotype) consists of a virtually complete articulated skull and skeleton, it shared its corporal characteristics with most other Mesozoic mammals; it was a long-tailed, nocturnal tetrapod (with prehensile fingers and toes) which hunted insects, its food, during the night.
It is suspected to be a nocturnal creature because it had very large eyes which were roughly 5 mm across. This would have allowed it to have better night vision for catching insects. It is notable for its relatively derived forelimb morphology, having shoulder blades and other pectoral girdle elements comparable to those of modern therians like opossums. It also had grasping hands. By contrast, however, the hindlimbs retained primitive characters, suggesting a semi-sprawling stance.
Recent studies show that it was specialised to an arboreal lifestyle, possessing prehensile hands.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Jeholodens (revision 1343973788), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q2568127.
