Middle Jurassic Volaticotherium moves to pre-mammal Repenomamus in the LRT
It was the saw-blade teeth,
unlike those of any other tested mammal in the large reptile tree (LRT, 2338 taxa), that drew attention once again to Middle Jurassic Volaticotherium (Fig 1), a taxon considered a mammal by authors Meng et al 2006.
Reinvestigation
moved Volaticotherium to the larger, late-surviving Late Cretaceous pre-mammal, Repenomamus (Fig 2).
Presently synapsid taxa with saw-teeth are only known from scraps, not complete skeletons or complete skulls, which is why Volaticotherium essentially stands alone in prior published cladograms.
Figure 1. Volaticotherium in situ and reconstructed. Note the sawblade molars and the low placement of the dentary glenoid = jaw joint, as in Repenomamus in figure 2.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/volaticotherium_recon588-1.jpg?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/volaticotherium_recon588-1.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-94712″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/volaticotherium_recon588-1.jpg” alt=”Figure 1. Volaticotherium in situ and reconstructed. Note the sawblade molars and the low placement of the dentary glenoid = jaw joint, as in Repenomamus in figure 2.” width=”584″ height=”400″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/volaticotherium_recon588-1.jpg?w=584&h=400 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/volaticotherium_recon588-1.jpg?w=150&h=103 150w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/volaticotherium_recon588-1.jpg?w=300&h=206 300w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/volaticotherium_recon588-1.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 1. Volaticotherium in situ and reconstructed. Note the sawblade molars and the low placement of the dentary glenoid = jaw joint, as in Repenomamus in figure 2.
According to Wikipedia – Volaticotherium
“As the analysis did not place Volaticotherium within any of the previously known main groups of Mesozoic mammals, the authors of its description erected a separate family Volaticotheriidae and order Volaticotheria for it.”
Figure 2. Late Cretaceous Repenomamus and Middle Jurassic Volaticotherium to scale.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/repenomamus-recon588.jpg?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/repenomamus-recon588.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-94715″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/repenomamus-recon588.jpg” alt=”Figure 2. Late Cretaceous Repenomamus and Middle Jurassic Volaticotherium to scale. ” width=”584″ height=”238″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/repenomamus-recon588.jpg?w=584&h=238 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/repenomamus-recon588.jpg?w=150&h=61 150w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/repenomamus-recon588.jpg?w=300&h=122 300w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/repenomamus-recon588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 2. Late Cretaceous Repenomamus and Middle Jurassic Volaticotherium to scale.
Volaticotherium antiquus
(Meng et al. 2006; Middle to Late Jurassic, 164 mya; 5 cm skull length; IVPP V14739) was described as a gliding mammal of uncertain affiintiy. It is based on a preserved patagium, or gliding membrane, complete with short hair and skin. Here, it is derived from a sister to the pre-mammal Repenmamus.The molars resemble saw blades. The external naris is divided by an ascending process of the premaxilla (rare among higher cynodonts and mammals). Proximally the femur has no ‘neck’ and not much of a ‘head’, and the tail is extraordinarily long.
References
Meng J, Hu YM, Wang YQ, Wang XL and Li CK 2006. A Mesozoic gliding mammal from northeastern China. Nature 444:889-893.
Source: https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/2025/09/28/middle-jurassic-volaticotherium-moves-to-pre-mammal-repenomamus-in-the-lrt/
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