Re: Cretaceous taeniodont

["K and T Dykes" <ktdykes@arcor.de>]

Hi Michael,

"It might easily be nothing to do with dinosaurs at all. For example, (and
I'm not seriosly proposing this, so don't shoot me) maybe all the early
mammals lived below the ferns, and in the Mesozoic there's ferns all over.
After the Mesozoic, the ferns are much more limited, and it's adapt or die
time.  (oversimplification, I know.)"

It's definitely an oversimplification.  The fossil mines of Liaoning have
presently produced seven published genera of mammals, and there should be
another coming along some time.  Several are climbers, (certainly so for
Eomaia and Sinodelphys).  For the multi, Sinobaatar, the foot apparently
shows resemblances to Ptilodus.  The authors suggested it may have been an
arboreal critter.  It should be borne in mind though, that small mammals
often have to be partial climbers and clamberers, even if they rarely go
near a tree.  If you're ten or fifteen cm long relatively flat ground is in
short supply.

Perhaps things are more clear cut with Henkelotherium from the Upper
Jurassic of Portugal.  Its feet, the squirrl-like tail and the claws all
reportedly suggest it was a natural born acrobat, and didn't need a safety
net.  If anyone feels moved to design a potential Jurassic arboreal mammal,
Henkelotherium would be a suitable model.