Fossilised animal - Dalinghosaurus - 55 cm - 30 cm

Dalinghosaurus is an extinct basal squamate, with fossils found in the Jiufotang Formation, China.

Dalinghosaurus

A small squamate reptile that lived in western Liaoning, China during the Early Cretaceous (approximately 120 million years ago), it is a representative species of the Jehol Biota. Its tail accounted for about two-thirds of its total length, and its hind limbs were significantly longer than its forelimbs. Its claws exhibited adaptations for both running and climbing, and its skeletal features suggest it may have been arboreal. As a key link in the Jehol Biota food chain, it was found in the stomach contents of *Sinosauropteryx*, making it valuable for early lizard evolution research.