Xianshou

Xianshou; Temporal range: 160 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓ Oxfordian
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Therapsida
Clade:	Cynodontia
Order:	†Haramiyida
Family:	†Eleutherodontidae
Genus:	†Xianshou; Wang, Meng, Bi, Guan and Sheng, 2014
Species
	X. linglong Wang et al. 2014; X. songae Meng, et al. 2014

Xianshou is a genus of gliding[1] haramiyidan synapsid known from the Oxfordian stage of the Jurassic period, approximately 160 million years ago. Two species, X. linglong and X. songae, are known from fossils of the Tiaojishan Formation in the Liaoning province of China.[2]

Etymology

The genus name is derived from Chinese xiān (仙), meaning "immortal" or "celestial being", and shòu (獸), meaning "creature" or "beast". The specific name linglong is derived from both the Chinese word for "exquisite" (玲瓏), and from the name of the town Linglongta, where the holotype was discovered. X. songae is named for the collector of the specimen, Rufeng Song.[2]

Description

X. linglong is believed to have weighed 83 grams (2.9 oz) in life. It can be distinguished from X. songae and Shenshou 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 examinations of its specimen reveal that it had patagia and could glide.[1]

Euharamiyida

Shenshou

Arboroharamiya

Eleutherodon

Sineleutherus

Xianshou

	Xianshou linglong

	Xianshou songae

References

Qing-Jin Meng; David M. Grossnickle; Di Liu; Yu-Guang Zhang; April I. Neander; Qiang Ji; Zhe-Xi Luo (2017). "New gliding mammaliaforms from the Jurassic". Nature. in press. doi:10.1038/nature23476.
Bi, Shundong; Wang, Yuanqing; Sheng, Xia; Meng, Jin (10 September 2014). "Three new Jurassic euharamiyidan species reinforce early divergence of mammals". Nature. Nature Publishing Group. 514 (7524): 579–584. doi:10.1038/nature13718. PMID 25209669.

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[Qing-Jin_Meng_2017-1] Qing-Jin Meng; David M. Grossnickle; Di Liu; Yu-Guang Zhang; April I. Neander; Qiang Ji; Zhe-Xi Luo (2017). "New gliding mammaliaforms from the Jurassic". Nature. in press. doi:10.1038/nature23476.

[BiEtAl2014-2] Bi, Shundong; Wang, Yuanqing; Sheng, Xia; Meng, Jin (10 September 2014). "Three new Jurassic euharamiyidan species reinforce early divergence of mammals". Nature. Nature Publishing Group. 514 (7524): 579–584. doi:10.1038/nature13718. PMID 25209669.