Repenomamus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids RepenomamusTemporal range: Lower Cretaceous
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| Repenomamus giganticus skull | |
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Triconodonta
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Repenomamidae
Li, Wang, Wang, Li, 2000
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Repenomamus
Li, Wang, Wang, Li, 2000
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Repenomamus was a very old mammal. It lived during the Cretaceous period. This was the time of the dinosaurs! Its fossils were found in Manchuria, a region in China.
Repenomamus was the biggest mammal known from the Cretaceous period. Scientists have found strong clues that it ate dinosaurs. We are not sure if it hunted them or just ate animals that were already dead.
What Repenomamus Ate
Repenomamus was a carnivore, meaning it ate meat. Scientists found a fossil of a Repenomamus robustus. Inside its stomach, there were small pieces of a young Psittacosaurus skeleton.
This discovery is very important. It is the best proof that mammals living long ago, during the Mesozoic Era, actually ate dinosaurs. Before this, there were only hints that this might have happened.
How Big Was It?
The larger type of Repenomamus is called R. giganticus. It was the biggest mammal known from the Cretaceous period. R. giganticus could grow to be more than 1 metre (about 39 inches) long. It weighed around 12 to 14 kilograms (about 26 to 31 pounds).
Its skull was about 16 centimeters (6.25 inches) long. Its body was about 52 centimeters (20.5 inches) long. The part of its tail that was found measured 36 centimeters (14 inches).
Where It Was Found
The fossils of Repenomamus were found in China. They came from a place called the Yixian Formation in Liaoning Province. This area is famous for its amazing fossils. Many feathered dinosaurs have been found there.
These fossils are about 130 million years old. This means Repenomamus lived during the Lower Cretaceous period.
Repenomamus belongs to a group called triconodonts. These were early mammals that are not related to any animals alive today.
Images for kids
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An R. robustus feeding on a Psittacosaurus hatchling.
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Fossil skull of R. giganticus
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The R. robustus specimen with Psittacosaurus remains in its stomach, Paleozoological Museum of China
See also
In Spanish: Repenomamus para niños
