What is Agilodocodon?
Q: What is Agilodocodon?
A: Agilodocodon is a shrew-sized docodont from the Middle Jurassic and the earliest known tree-climbing mammal-like therapsid.
Q: What was Agilodocodon's size and weight?
A: Agilodocodon was about 13 centimeters from head to tail and weighed about 27 grams.
Q: What did Agilodocodon look like?
A: Agilodocodon's appearance was similar to a squirrel, with a long snout, curved, horny claws, and flexible ankle and wrist joints typical of modern arboreal mammals.
Q: What were the front teeth of Agilodocodon like?
A: The front teeth of Agilodocodon were spade-like, potentially indicating that it could gnaw tree bark and eat gum or sap.
Q: What is another palaeontologist's interpretation of Agilodocodon's teeth?
A: According to another palaeontologist, Agilodocodon's teeth "are quite different" from the modern sap-eating monkeys, and the long, thin lower jaw seems too weak for gnawing tree bark.
Q: What is the significance of Agilodocodon being a tree-climbing mammal-like therapsid?
A: Agilodocodon being the earliest known tree-climbing mammal-like therapsid suggests that arboreal behavior and adaptations may have evolved earlier than previously thought.
Q: How does Agilodocodon's appearance compare to modern arboreal mammals?
A: Agilodocodon's appearance has similarities to modern arboreal mammals, including flexible ankle and wrist joints and curved, horny claws.
