Yanoconodon

{{Short description|Extinct family of mammals}}

{{automatic taxobox

|fossil_range = Early Cretaceous, {{fossilrange|122}}

|image = Yanoconodon BW.jpg

|image_caption = Yanoconodon allini

|image_upright = 1.15

|taxon = Yanoconodon

|authority = Chen, Chen, Li & Luo, 2007

|type_species = {{extinct}}Yanoconodon allini

|type_species_authority = Chen, Chen, Li & Luo, 2007

}}

Yanoconodon is a monotypic genus of extinct early mammal whose representative species Yanoconodon allini lived during the Mesozoic in what is now China. The holotype fossil of Yanoconodon was excavated in the Yan Mountains about 300 kilometres from Beijing in the Qiaotou member of the Huajiying Formation (which the original authors considered part of the Yixian Formation) of Hebei Province, China, and is therefore of uncertain age. The Qiaotou Member may correlate with the more well-known Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation, and so probably dates to around 122 Ma ago.Jin, F., Zhang, F.C., Li, Z.H., Zhang, J.Y., Li, C. and Zhou, Z.H. (2008). "On the horizon of Protopteryx and the early vertebrate fossil assemblages of the Jehol Biota." Chinese Science Bulletin, 53(18): 2820-2827.

Yanoconodon was a eutriconodont, a group composing most taxa once classified as "triconodonts" which lived during the time of the dinosaurs. These were a highly ecologically diverse group, including large sized taxa such as Repenomamus that were able to eat small dinosaurs,Hu, Y., Meng, J., Wang, Y. & Li, C. (2005). Large Mesozoic mammals fed on young dinosaurs. Nature. Vol 433, 12 January 2005, Number 7022, pp91-178, {{doi|10.1038/nature03102}}. [https://www.newscientist.com/channel/life/dn6874.html See commentary on this article (Retrieved 25/6/2007)]. the arboreal Jeholodens, the aerial volaticotherines and the spined Spinolestes. Yanoconodon is inferred to be a generalized terrestrial mammal, capable of multiple forms of locomotion.Chen, M., Z.-X. Luo, and G. P. Wilson. 2017. The postcranial skeleton of Yanoconodon allini from the Early Cretaceous of Hebei, China, and its implications for locomotor adaptation in eutriconodontan mammals. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. {{doi|10.1080/02724634.2017.1315425}}.

Yanoconodon's name is composed of two elements: 'Yan' is taken from the Yan Mountains in the north of the Hebei Province near where the holotype of Yanoconodon was found; 'Conodon' is an often used as a mammalian taxonomic suffix meaning 'cuspate tooth'. Its species name, "allini," is derived from mammalian researcher Edgar Allin, who was notable for his research on the mammalian middle ear.Luo, Z., Chen, P., Li, G., & Chen, M. (2007). [http://carnegiemnh.net/assets/science/vp/Luo_et_al_2007_Yanoconodon.pdf A new eutriconodont mammal and evolutionary development in early mammals]. Nature. Vol 446, 15 March 2007, {{doi|10.1038/nature05627}}.[http://www.physorg.com/news93110526.html Paleontologists Discover New Mammal from Mesozoic Era] at [http://www.physorg.com/ www.physorg.com] - Retrieved 25/6/2007.