Castorocauda lutrasimilis is an extinct genus of docodont mammaliaform (mammal-like) that lived in Inner Mongolia, China during the Middle Jurassic period.
Real Life[]
The Castorocauda is an extinct, semi-aquatic, otter-like genus of mammalia with one species, C. lutrasimilis. It is part of the Yanliao Biota, found in the Daohugou Beds of Inner Mongolia, China dating to the Middle to Late Jurassic. It was part of an explosive Middle Jurassic radiation of Mammaliaformes moving into diverse habitats and niches.
Physiology[]
Castorocauda, weighing approximately 500 to 800 grams (1.1 to 1.8 pounds), is recognized as the largest mammaliaform from the Jurassic period. It represents the earliest mammaliaform exhibiting aquatic adaptations and possessing a fur pelt.
Additionally, it was equipped for burrowing, and its dental structure bears resemblance to that of seals and Eocene whales, indicating a lifestyle akin to that of contemporary platypuses and river otters, with a diet primarily consisting of fish. This species thrived in a moist, seasonal, and cool temperate habitat, likely characterized by an average temperature not exceeding 15 °C (59 °F), coexisting with salamanders, pterosaurs, avian-like dinosaurs, and other mammaliaforms.
Portrayals[]
The Castorocauda was featured in Dinosaur Train.
[]
| Prehistoric Mammals | ||
| Castorocauda, Gigantopithecus, Megaloceros, Woolly mammoth, Smilodon | ||