Maiopatagium and Vilevolodon

New gliding mammaliaforms from the Jurassic

Meng, Q.-J., Grossnickle, D. M., Liu, D., Zhang, Y.-G., Neander, A. I., Ji, Q., and Z.-X. Luo. 2017. New gliding mammaliaforms from the Jurassic. Nature 548: 291-296. (doi:10.1038/nature23476).

New evidence for mammaliaform ear evolution and feeding adaptation in a Jurassic ecosystem

Luo, Z.-X., Meng, Q.-J., Grossnickle, D. M., Liu, D., Zhang, Y.-G., Neander, A. I., and Ji, Q. 2017. New evidence for mammaliaform ear evolution and feeding adaptation in a Jurassic ecosystem. Nature 548: 326-329 (doi:10.1038/nature23483).

Press Release

Images

Attention: Artwork and photographs downloaded from here are for media use only. High resolution images available from April Neander at aisch@uchicago.edu.

	Skeletal and patagial membrane reconstruction of gliding mammaliaform Maiopatagium furculiferum. A. Standing posture. B. Wishbone-like shoulder girdle and patagia. C. in four-limbed suspended roosting posture (Illustrations by April I. Neander/UChicago)
	Maiopatagium in Jurassic forest in crepuscular (dawn and dusk) light: a mother with a baby in suspending roosting posture, climbing on tree trunk, and in gliding. (Reconstruction by April I. Neander/UChicago)
	A gliding mammaliaform feeding on the soft parts of a bennettitale plant of the Jurassic. (Illustration by April I. Neander/UChicago)
	Photographs of Jurassic gliding mammaliaform Vilevolodon diplomylos fossil slab and counter-slab (Beijing Museum of Natural History 2942A, 2942B) with arrows indicating patagial skin membrane. (Photo by Zhe-Xi Luo/UChicago)
	Complex teeth and jaw of Vilevolodon for herbivorous feeding. (Images by April I. Neander/UChicago)
	Photograph of the fossil of gliding mammaliaform Maiopatagium furculiferum (type specimen from Beijing Museum of Natural History BMNH 2940). (Photo by Zhe-Xi Luo/UChicago)
	Locator’s map of the Daxishan fossil site in Liaoning Province and Nanshimen fossil site in Hebei Province, China.
	Movie – Reconstruction of the shoulder girdle from CT scans of a fossil related to Maiopatagium, and the interpretation of attachment of patagial membranes to the forelimb. (Animation by April Neander/UChicago)