Jeholodens jenkinsi was unearthed in 1994 near the village of Si-He-Tun, northeast of Chao-Yang in China's Liaoning Province. This site has gotten much attention recently because of a number of spectacular fossil discoveries. In addition to the world's most important early mammals, this site has produced the world's most primitive birds and the famous Chinese feathered dinosaurs that stunned the scientific community last year by offering concrete proof of the evolutionary connections between dinosaurs and birds.

In 1997, Dr. Luo's collaboration with scientists from Beijing yielded what was at that time the most complete symmetrodont mammal ever found. Zhangheotherium quinquecuspidens, which lived 125 million years ago, filled an important gap in the understanding of how later mammals, including humans, evolved from their ancient ancestors.

Already considered one of the world's foremost specialists in Mesozoic mammals, Dr. Luo's ongoing research in Liaoning will undoubtedly lead to more important discoveries and to an increased understanding of the roots of the mammalian family tree.