Mammal · GBIF taxon 8515960
Juramaia sinensis
Juramaia sinensisAlso known as Jurassic Mother from China
Juramaia sinensis is one of the earliest known eutherian mammals, providing a critical evolutionary benchmark for placental mammal origins during the Late Jurassic epoch. Equipped with grasping hands and mobile forelimb joints, this small creature scurried through Mesozoic gymnosperm canopies in search of small invertebrates. Its well-preserved fossil remains demonstrate that early therian mammals had already diversified into specialized arboreal niches alongside feathered dinosaurs.
PrehistoricFossil
Licensed referenceJonathan Chen / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
—observations
—countries
—peak records
ExtinctConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXExtinctRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Beetles
- Cricket-like orthopterans
- Insect larvae
Predators
- Small theropod dinosaurs
- Pterosaurs
- Basal crocodyliforms
ThreatsPrehistoric environmental changes and predation
HabitatsTemperate Jurassic forests and lakeside woodlands
Life span1–3 years
Classification
- FamilyJuramaiidae
- GenusJuramaia
- SpeciesJuramaia sinensis
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Extinct fossil species; poses no danger to humans.
Responsible observation
- Fossil Viewing: Best observed as prepared slab specimens in major natural history museums.
- Scientific Study: Look for detailed high-resolution casts and CT reconstructions in academic paleontological collections.
Contemporary Mammaliaform Jonathan Chen / CC BY 4.0 · cc-by
Close Relative Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska and Jørn H. Hurum / CC BY 2.0 · cc-by
Metatherian Relative Ghedoghedo / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
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