Name:
Sinodelphys (Greek for "Chinese opossum"); pronounced SIGH-no-DELF-iss
Habitat:
Woodlands of Asia
Historical Period:
Early Cretaceous (130 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About 6 inches long and a few ounces
Diet:
Insects
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Small size; opossum-like teeth
About Sinodelphys:
A specimen of Sinodelphys had the good fortune to be preserved in the Liaoning quarry in China, a source of numerous dino-birds (as well as other life forms of the early Cretaceous period). This is the earliest mammal known to have shown distinctly marsupial, as opposed to placental, characteristics; in particular, the shape and arrangement of its teeth recall primitive marsupials like opossums. Like other early mammals, Sinodelphys probably spent most of its life in trees, where it could avoid being squashed by passing dinosaurs.
