Jeholotriton
Encyclopedia
Jeholotriton is a genus
of primitive salamander
from the Daohugou Beds
(possibly dating to the late Jurassic
period) near Daohugou village of Inner Mongolia
, China
.
Wang Yuan
from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology
of the Chinese Academy of Sciences first described the species in 2000
. In 2005, he presented a full description in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology along with C. S. Rose from James Madison University, USA.
The genus name "Jehol-" refers to Jehol Biota
, which flourished during the Early Cretaceous in northeastern China. The original naming paper (Wang, 2000) regarded the salamander a member of the biota, but recent studies reveals this fossil-bearing Daohugou Beds
is lower, may be Late Jurassic in age or even older. The specific name "paradoxus" refers to the strange skull morphology of the animal.
, a short-bodied salamander from an adjacent locality in Lingyuan, Liaoning Province, strata comparable to the Daohugou Beds. These two taxa are close to the base of crown−group Urodela (modern salamanders), either just outside it or just within.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of primitive salamander
Salamander
Salamander is a common name of approximately 500 species of amphibians. They are typically characterized by a superficially lizard-like appearance, with their slender bodies, short noses, and long tails. All known fossils and extinct species fall under the order Caudata, while sometimes the extant...
from the Daohugou Beds
Daohugou Beds
The Daohugou Beds are a series of fossil-bearing rock deposits located in northeastern China, with the type locality around Daohugou village of Ningcheng County south of Chifeng, Inner Mongolia, but extending into southwest Liaoning. The rocks are grey, finely bedded, lacustrine, sandy mudstones...
(possibly dating to the late Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
period) near Daohugou village of Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. Inner Mongolia shares an international border with the countries of Mongolia and the Russian Federation...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Wang Yuan
Wang Yuan
Wang Yuan , or Yuan Wang, an academician of Chinese Academy of Science, is a renowned Chinese mathematician, educator and popular science writer...
from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology
Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology
The Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of China is a prominent research institution and collections repository for fossils, including many dinosaur and pterosaurand cat poo specimens...
of the Chinese Academy of Sciences first described the species in 2000
2000 in paleontology
-Newly named insects:-Newly named placoderms:-Amphibians:-Ichthyosaurs:-Newly named crurotarsans:-Newly named dinosaurs:Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list and Dr...
. In 2005, he presented a full description in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology along with C. S. Rose from James Madison University, USA.
The genus name "Jehol-" refers to Jehol Biota
Jehol Biota
The Jehol Biota includes all the living organisms - the ecosystem - of northeastern China between 133 to 120 million years ago. This is the Lower Cretaceous ecosystem which left fossils in the Yixian Formation and Jiufotang Formation. It is also believed to have left fossils in the Sinuiju series...
, which flourished during the Early Cretaceous in northeastern China. The original naming paper (Wang, 2000) regarded the salamander a member of the biota, but recent studies reveals this fossil-bearing Daohugou Beds
Daohugou Beds
The Daohugou Beds are a series of fossil-bearing rock deposits located in northeastern China, with the type locality around Daohugou village of Ningcheng County south of Chifeng, Inner Mongolia, but extending into southwest Liaoning. The rocks are grey, finely bedded, lacustrine, sandy mudstones...
is lower, may be Late Jurassic in age or even older. The specific name "paradoxus" refers to the strange skull morphology of the animal.
Classification
A phylogenetic analysis by Wang and S.E. Evans in 2006 found that Jeholotriton is a possible sister taxon to PangerpetonPangerpeton
Pangerpeton is an extinct genus of amphibian. Its monotypic species is Pangerpeton sinensis.Pangerpeton is a metamorphosed, primitive salamander from the ?Late Jurassic Daohugou fossil bed near Wubaiding Village of Lingyuan City, Liaoning Province, China.Yuan Wang and Susan E...
, a short-bodied salamander from an adjacent locality in Lingyuan, Liaoning Province, strata comparable to the Daohugou Beds. These two taxa are close to the base of crown−group Urodela (modern salamanders), either just outside it or just within.
See also
- Prehistoric amphibian
- List of prehistoric amphibians