Prehistoric animals of China

Odontochelys semitestacea (meaning "toothed turtle with a half-shell") is a Late Triassic relative of turtles. Before Pappochelys was discovered and Eunotosaurus was redescribed, Odontochelys was considered the oldest undisputed member of Pantestudines (i.e. a stem-turtle). It is the only known species in the genus Odontochelys and the family Odontochelyidae.

Sinonyx ("Chinese claw") is a genus of extinct, superficially wolf-like mesonychid mammals from the late Paleocene of China (about 56 million years ago). It is within the family Mesonychidae, and cladistic analysis of a skull of Sinonyx jiashanensis identifies its closest relative as Ankalagon. S. jiashanensis was discovered in Anhui province, China (, paleocoordinates ), in the Tuijinshan formation.

species of mammal (fossil)

species of mammal in the ursid subfamily (fossil)

Fuxianhuia is a genus of Lower Cambrian fossil arthropod known from the Chengjiang fauna in China. Its purportedly primitive features have led to it playing a pivotal role in discussions about the euarthropod stem group. Nevertheless, despite being known from many specimens, disputes about its morphology, in particular its head appendages, have made it one of the most controversial of the Chengjiang taxa, and it has been discussed extensively in the context of the arthropod head problem.

Eopteranodon (meaning "dawn Pteranodon (toothless wing)") is a genus of tapejarid pterosaur from the Aptian-age Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Beipiao City, Liaoning, China. The genus was named in 2005 by paleontologists Lü Junchang and Zhang Xingliao. The type species is Eopteranodon lii. A second species, E. yixianensis, was named in 2023, but its validity has been questioned.

prehistoric animal, ancestor to the giant panda

Entelognathus primordialis (“primordial complete jaw”) is an early placoderm from the late Silurian (Ludlow epoch) of Qujing, Yunnan, 419 million years ago. A team led by Min Zhu of the Academy of Sciences' Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing discovered the intact, articulated fossil in rock formations at Xiaoxiang reservoir.

Yuzhoupliosaurus is an extinct genus of plesiosaur from the Middle Jurassic of China. The genus is known only from a lower jaw, eighteen vertebrae, fragments of a pectoral girdle and parts of the right hindlimb. It is believed this genus lived in fresh water.

Maotherium is a genus extinct symmetrodont mammal that was discovered in Early Cretaceous rocks in Liaoning Province, China, in 2003. Its scientific name directly translates to "fur beast", in reference to the impressions of fur around the fossil. Maotherium belongs to an extinct group of Mesozoic mammals called symmetrodonts. Though little is known about this group, the symmetrodonts have several similarities - specifically their teeth. They have tall pointed, but simple molars in a triangular arrangement. Originally symmetrodonts were known since the 1920s. Now a vast majority have been rest

Cartorhynchus (meaning "shortened snout") is an extinct genus of early ichthyosauriform marine reptile that lived during the Early Triassic epoch, about 248 million years ago. The genus contains a single species, Cartorhynchus lenticarpus, named in 2014 by Ryosuke Motani and colleagues from a single nearly-complete skeleton found near Chaohu, Anhui Province, China. Along with its close relative Sclerocormus, Cartorhynchus was part of a diversification of marine reptiles that occurred suddenly (over about one million years) during the Spathian substage, soon after the devastating Permian-Triass

Liaoconodon is an extinct genus of early mammal from the early Cretaceous (early Aptian stage, approximately 120 Ma). It is a eutriconodont which lived in what is now the Jianchang of Liaoning Province, eastern China. It is known from the holotype IVPP V 16051, which consists of nearly complete skeleton and skull. It was found in the Jiufotang Formation (Jehol Biota) near Xiaotaizi, Lamadong. It was first named by Jin Meng, Yuanqing Wang and Chuankui Li in 2011 and the type species is Liaoconodon hui.

Sinobaatar is a genus of extinct mammal from the Lower Cretaceous of China. It is categorized within the also extinct order Multituberculata and among these it belongs to the plagiaulacid lineage (a possible infraorder). Sinobaatar was a small herbivore during the Mesozoic era, commonly called "the age of the dinosaurs". The genus was named by Hu Y. and Wang Y. in 2002. Three species have been described.

Yantanglestes is a genus of small, Chinese mesonychid with slender jaws that first appeared during the Early Paleocene in the Thanetian stage. It was found throughout Asia. It is the oldest known mesonychid. Yantanglestes became extinct during the Nongshanian division of the Late Paleocene, and lived sympatrically with its descendant genera, including Dissacus, Sinonyx and Jiangxia.

genus of mammals

Kenichthys is a genus of sarcopterygian fish from the Devonian period, and a member of the clade Tetrapodomorpha. The only known species of the genus is Kenichthys campbelli (named for the Australian palaeontologist Ken Campbell), the first remains of which were found in China in 1993. The genus is important to the study of the evolution of tetrapods due to the unique nature of its nostrils, which provide vital evidence regarding the evolutionary transition of fish-like nostrils to the tetrapod choanae.

Guangxicyon is a medium-sized, extinct genus of amphicyonid carnivoran, or "bear dog," which inhabited southern China during the Late Eocene. It is notable for being the oldest member of its family known from Asia, and is characterized by a shortened face and atypical, bunodont dentition. It inhabited a subtropical forest shaped by monsoon climate not unlike the one present in the region where it was found today. Only a single species, Guangxicyon sinoamericanus, is known.

Guizhouichthyosaurus is an extinct genus of ichthyosaur which is known primarily from the Xiaowa Formation of the lower Carnian stage of the Late Triassic in southwest China. The type species of this genus is Guizhouichthyosaurus tangae, of which multiple skeletons are known. It has been reassigned as a species of the genus Shastasaurus in the past, though it has since been considered distinct. The ichthyosaurs Cymbospondylus asiaticus, named in 2002, and Panjiangsaurus epicharis, named in 2003, are junior synonyms of G. tangae. The genus is also known from the Ladinian-aged Middle Triassic Zh

Gansurhinus is an extinct genus of moradisaurine captorhinid known from the Middle Permian Qingtoushan Formation of the Qilian Mountains and the Late Permian Naobaogou Formation in the Daqing Mountains of China. It was first named by Robert R. Reisz, Jun Liu, Jin-Ling Li and Johannes Müller in 2011 and the type species is Gansurhinus qingtoushanensis. A second species, Gansurhinus naobaogouensis, was described in 2023 based on a relatively complete skeleton of an immature individual.

Shenshou is an extinct monotypic genus of haramiyidan dating from the Oxfordian stage of the Late Jurassic, approximately 160 million years ago. Fossils were recovered from the Tiaojishan Formation in the Liaoning province of China.

Pteronisculus is an extinct genus of prehistoric ray-finned fish that lived during the Early Triassic and Middle Triassic epochs of the Triassic period worldwide.

Shihtienfenia is an extinct genus of pareiasaurid parareptile from the Late Permian of China.

Liaoxiornis is a dubious genus of enantiornithean bird. The only named species is Liaoxiornis delicatus, described by Hou and Chen in 1999. Because the species was named for a hatchling specimen, it cannot be matched with adult specimens, and so it is impossible to determine which, if any, birds from the same rocks represent adults of this species. Luis Chiappe and colleagues therefore regarded it as a nomen vanum ("empty name") or at least a nomen dubium, and recommended that use of the name be abandoned. thumb|left|Fossil of Liaoxiornis delicatus, at Museo di Storia Naturale di Venezia, Veni

Liaobatrachus (meaning "Liaoning frog") is a genus of prehistoric frog, the first fossil specimen of which was recovered from the Yixian Formation of Liaoning Province, China. It was the first Mesozoic era frog ever found in China. The species Callobatrachus sanyanensis, Mesophryne beipiaoensis and Yizhoubatrachus macilentus were classified as species of Liaobatrachus in one study, but this has been rejected by other authors. The genus has been considered a nomen dubium by some authors due to the poor preservation of the holotype specimen. Fossils were found in the Sihetun locality of the west

Lambdopsalis is an extinct multituberculate mammal from the Late Paleocene of China and Mongolia. It is placed within the suborder Cimolodonta and is a member of the superfamily Taeniolabidoidea. Fossil remains have been found in the Late Paleocene Nomogen and Khashat Formations in Nao-mugen and Bayn Ulan of China and Mongolia, dated to 59-55 million years ago from the Thanetian age. Lambdopsalis bulla is the type species of this genus. The genus and species were named by Chow and Tao Qi in 1978.

Potanichthys is a fossil genus of thoracopterid fish found in deposits from China dating to the Ladinian age of the Middle Triassic epoch. The type species is P. xingyiensis, though P. wushaensis is considered as the alternative species name. It is known to have been the first vertebrate ever to have glided over water, and thus the first fish ever that had over-water gliding strategy. The genus name Potanichthys is a portmanteau of the Ancient Greek ποτάνος (potanos, winged/flying) and ιχθύς (ichthys, fish). The species epithet refers to Xingyi city which is near the site where Potanichthys wa

Juracimbrophlebia is an extinct genus of hangingflies that lived during the Middle Jurassic Period about 165 million years ago, containing only its type species, Juracimbrophlebia ginkgofolia; it was discovered in deposits from Daohugou in northeastern China’s Inner Mongolia.

Philydrosaurus is an extinct genus of choristoderan which existed in China during the Early Cretaceous. The type species P. proseilus was named in 2005. Philydrosaurus was found from the Jiufotang Formation and is slightly younger than Monjurosuchus, which was found from the Yixian Formation.

Dianchungosaurus (meaning "Dianchung lizard") is an extinct genus of mesoeucrocodylian crocodyliform from the Early Jurassic of China. It was previously considered a dinosaur, but it was recently reclassified as a mesoeucrocodylian by Paul Barrett and Xing Xu (2005). It is probably the same animal as the informally named "Tianchungosaurus". The type species is D. lufengensis and it was described in 1982. A second species, D. elegans, was named in 1986, but it has since become a synonym of the type species.

Qinornis is a genus of extinct ornithuran from the early-mid-Paleocene epoch (late Danian age), about 61 million years ago. It is known from a single fossil specimen consisting of a partial hind limb and foot, which was found in Fangou Formation deposits in Luonan County, China.

Mongolarachne is an extinct genus of spiders placed in the monogeneric family Mongolarachnidae. The genus contains only one species, Mongolarachne jurassica, described in 2013, which is presently the largest fossilized spider on record. The type species was originally described as Nephila jurassica and placed in the living genus Nephila which contains the golden silk orb-weavers.

Qianshanornis rapax is an extinct predatory bird from the Middle Paleocene of China. Q. rapax is very similar to the Eocene cariamiform Strigogyps, but it differs in being smaller, and in having a hypertrophied, hyperextensible second toe, forming a claw analogous to that of dromeosaurid dinosaurs. This toe is thought to allowed the bird to better pin down captured prey. Although very little wing-material is known, the condylar processes suggest it was capable of flight, and probably was a flier superior to either Strigogyps or modern seriemas.

Jibeinia is a genus of enantiornithean bird. Only one species has been named, Jibeinia luanhera. It is known from one holotype fossil found in the Hebei province, People's Republic of China. This fossil is now lost. The holotype was, however, described and figured in detail by Hou (1997).

Magnocoleus is an extinct genus of beetles from the Early Cretaceous of China, between 130.0 and 125.45 Mya. The genus contains a single species, Magnocoleus huangjiapuensis, and is the only member of the family Magnocoleidae in the suborder Archostemata. Magnocoleus was first described by Chinese palaeoentomologist Hong Youchong in 1998, based on fossils of isolated elytra from the Qingshila Formation in Huangjiapu, near the Nantianmen village of Zhangjiakou in Hebei. Recent phylogenetic analyses have suggested that Magnocoleus is closely related to or placed within either Cupedidae or O