| Xianshou | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Skull diagram ofX. linglong | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Synapsida |
| Clade: | Therapsida |
| Clade: | Cynodontia |
| Clade: | Mammaliaformes |
| Order: | †Haramiyida |
| Family: | †Eleutherodontidae |
| Genus: | †Xianshou Wang, Meng, Bi, Guan and Sheng, 2014 |
| Species | |
X. linglongWanget al., 2014 | |
Xianshou is a genus ofgliding[1]haramiyidansynapsid known from theOxfordian stage of theJurassic period, approximately 160 million years ago. Two species,X. linglong andX. songae, are known fromfossils of theTiaojishan Formation in theLiaoning province ofChina.[2]
The genus name is derived from Chinesexiān (仙), meaning "immortal" or "celestial being", andshòu (獸), meaning "creature" or "beast". The specific namelinglong is derived from both the Chinese word for "exquisite" (玲瓏), and from the name of the town Linglongta, where theholotype was discovered.X. songae is named for the collector of the specimen, Rufeng Song.[2]
X. linglongis believed to have weighed 83 grams (2.9 oz) in life. It can be distinguished fromX. songae andShenshou by the sharper cusps and ridges of its upper molars, and by larger size.X. songae is estimated to have weighed around 40 grams (1.4 oz).[2]
More recent study ofXianshou suggests that, like the closely relatedMaiopatagium andVilevolodon, it may have had apatagium and the ability to glide. No patagium is preserved inXianshou fossils, but the morphology of the limbs and pes is most similar to those of extant gliding mammals.[1]
The followingphylogenetic analysis was recovered by the description ofXianshou.[2]
| Euharamiyida |
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