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Diphydontosaurus Cropped
''Diphydontosaurus'' is an extinct genus of rhynchocephalian reptile from the Late Triassic of England and Italy. This small animal was related to the living tuatara (''Sphenodon''). It may have grown to a length of . It is more derived than ''Gephyrosaurus'', yet more primitive than ''Planocephalosaurus'', and shares traits with both of them. Description ''Diphydontosaurus'' was a small sphenodontian, measuring up to long. It had long, sharp claws to help it catch its prey, and peg-like piercing teeth to help it eat insects. These features are shared with the other primitive rhynchocephalians ''Gephyrosaurus'' and ''Planocephalosaurus''. Classification ''Diphydontosaurus'' is known from many mostly complete specimens, which means that its classification as a rhynchocephalian is quite certain. In an analysis by Oliver Rahut and colleagues in 2012, it was found that ''Diphydontosaurus'' is the second most basal rhynchocephalian, after ''Gephyrosaurus'', and the most primitive ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Late Triassic
The Late Triassic is the third and final epoch (geology), epoch of the Triassic geologic time scale, Period in the geologic time scale, spanning the time between annum, Ma and Ma (million years ago). It is preceded by the Middle Triassic Epoch and followed by the Early Jurassic Epoch. The corresponding series (stratigraphy), series of rock beds is known as the Upper Triassic. The Late Triassic is divided into the Carnian, Norian and Rhaetian Geologic time scale, Ages. Many of the first dinosaurs evolved during the Late Triassic, including ''Plateosaurus'', ''Coelophysis'', and ''Eoraptor''. The Triassic–Jurassic extinction event began during this epoch and is one of the five major mass extinction events of the Earth. Etymology The Triassic was named in 1834 by Friedrich August von Namoh, Friedrich von Alberti, after a succession of three distinct rock layers (Greek meaning 'triad') that are widespread in southern Germany: the lower Buntsandstein (colourful sandstone'')'', t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Clevosaurus
''Clevosaurus'' (meaning "Gloucester lizard") is an extinct genus of rhynchocephalian reptile from the Late Triassic and the Early Jurassic periods. Species of ''Clevosaurus'' were widespread across Pangaea, and have been found on all continents except Australia and Antarctica. Five species of ''Clevosaurus'' have been found in ancient fissure fill deposits in south-west England and Wales, alongside other sphenodontians, early mammals and dinosaurs. In regards to its Pangaean distribution, ''C. hadroprodon'' is the oldest record of a sphenodontian from Gondwana, though its affinity to ''Clevosaurus'' has been questioned. History of discovery The first species of ''Clevosaurus'' to be described was ''C. hudsoni'', which was described by William Elgin Swinton in 1939 from a fissure fill deposit in Cromhall Quarry ( Magnesian Conglomerate Formation) in the county of Gloucestershire, England, with the name of the county lending its name to the genus. Description ''Clevosaurus' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eilenodontinae
Opisthodontia is a proposed clade of sphenodontian reptiles, uniting ''Opisthias'' from the Late Jurassic-earliest Cretaceous of Europe and North America with the Elienodontinae, a group of herbivorous sphenodontians known from the Late Triassic to Late Cretaceous. Description Teeth and diet Like other sphenodonts, opisthodonts had acrodont teeth which grew directly from the bone. They had one row of teeth on the lower jaw and two rows on the roof of the mouth. When processing food, their mandibular teeth would have slid between the outer (maxillary) teeth and inner (palatine) teeth. Some opisthodonts, such as '' Sphenotitan'', also had clusters of small teeth on the pterygoid at the center of the mouth roof. Opisthodont teeth were wide, numerous, and tightly-packed for grinding and shredding tough plant matter. Although wide shredding teeth are also known in a few other sphenodontians, such as ''Clevosaurus'' and ''Pelecymala'', the most diverse and long-lasting group of h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Opisthias
''Opisthias'' is a genus of sphenodont reptile. The type species, ''Opisthias rarus'', is known from the Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian-Tithonian) Morrison Formation of western North America, present in stratigraphic zones 2 and 4–6. Distribution ''Opisthias'' is primarily known to have lived during the Late Jurassic in the United States (Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming). Other remains are also known from the Late Jurassic of Portugal. A undescribed crushed skull (DINO 16454) has been attributed to this genus by some sources, though this has been strongly disputed by others. Berriasian records A lower jaw is also known from the Berriasian aged Lulworth Formation of the United Kingdom, which appears to be distinct from the type North American species. A fragmentary dentary possibly attributable to ''Opisthias'' is also known from the Berriasian aged Angeac-Charente bonebed in France.Ronan Allain, Romain Vullo, Lee Rozada, Jérémy Anquetin, Renaud Bourgeais, et al.Vertebrate paleobiod ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Opisthodontia (reptile)
Opisthodontia is a proposed clade of sphenodontian reptiles, uniting ''Opisthias'' from the Late Jurassic-earliest Cretaceous of Europe and North America with the Elienodontinae, a group of herbivorous sphenodontians known from the Late Triassic to Late Cretaceous. Description Teeth and diet Like other sphenodonts, opisthodonts had acrodont teeth which grew directly from the bone. They had one row of teeth on the lower jaw and two rows on the roof of the mouth. When processing food, their mandibular teeth would have slid between the outer (maxillary) teeth and inner (palatine) teeth. Some opisthodonts, such as '' Sphenotitan'', also had clusters of small teeth on the pterygoid at the center of the mouth roof. Opisthodont teeth were wide, numerous, and tightly-packed for grinding and shredding tough plant matter. Although wide shredding teeth are also known in a few other sphenodontians, such as ''Clevosaurus'' and ''Pelecymala'', the most diverse and long-lasting group of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zapatadon
''Zapatadon'' is an extinct genus of sphenodontid reptile from the end of the Early Jurassic in the lower part of La Boca Formation of Tamaulipas, Mexico.Marisol Montellano, James A. Hopson and James M. Clark (2008)Late Early Jurassic Mammaliaforms from Huizachal Canyon, Tamaulipas, México ''Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology'', Vol. 28, No. 4 (Dec. 12, 2008), pp. 1130-1143. Is known from a nearly complete skull with mandible of a post-hatchling individual (the specimen IGM 3497, in the Instituto de Geologia, of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico), and is one of the smallest skulls between the sphenodontians, with an estimated total length of 11.3 millimetres, a bit smaller than the hatchling individuals observed in the modern tuatara (''Sphenodon''); features like the oblique mandibular symphysis suggests that the holotype is from an individual in a relatively mature stage of ontogenic development. ''Zapatadon'' is diagnosed by their hatchling tooth series located in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cynosphenodon
''Cynosphenodon'' ( ; "Dog Sphenodontian") is an extinct genus of the family Sphenodontidae from the Middle Jurassic La Boca Formation of Tamaulipas, Mexico. Growth patterns in the teeth of ''Cynosphenodon'' suggest its close relationship with the modern tuatara Tuatara (''Sphenodon punctatus'') are reptiles endemic to New Zealand. Despite their close resemblance to lizards, they are part of a distinct lineage, the order Rhynchocephalia. The name ''tuatara'' is derived from the Māori language and m ....Reynoso, V. H. (2003). Growth patterns and ontogenetic variation of the teeth and jaws of the Middle Jurassic sphenodontian ''Cynosphenodon huizachalensis'' (Reptilia: Rhynchocephalia). ''Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 40''(4), 609–619 References Jurassic lepidosaurs Sphenodontia Fossils of Mexico Prehistoric reptile genera {{Jurassic-reptile-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oenosaurus
''Oenosaurus'' is an extinct genus of sphenodontian reptile from the Late Jurassic (Tithonian) aged Mörnsheim Formation of Germany. Description The genus is known from a partial skull preserved in ventral view. Diet and lifestyle It is likely that ''Oenosaurus'' led a durophagous lifestyle as indicated by the broad tooth plates. It is unknown if this animal was aquatic or terrestrial. Phylogeny It is currently considered to be a sapheosaur Sapheosaurs are an extinct group of rhynchocephalian reptiles from the Late Jurassic period. "Sapheosaurs" is an informal name for a group of rhynchocephalians closely related to the genus '' Sapheosaurus''. It was first recognized as a group c .... References Jurassic lepidosaurs Jurassic reptiles of Europe Prehistoric reptile genera {{jurassic-reptile-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sphenodontinae
Sphenodontidae is a family within the reptile group Rhynchocephalia, comprising taxa most closely related to the living tuatara of the genus ''Sphenodon''. Historically the taxa included within Sphenodontidae have varied greatly between analyses, and the group has lacked a formal definition. ''Cynosphenodon'' from the Early Jurassic of Mexico has consistently been recovered as a close relative of the tuatara in most analyses, with the clade containing the two often called Sphenodontinae. The herbivorous Eilenodontinae, otherwise considered part of Opisthodontia, is also sometimes considered part of this family as the sister group to Sphenodontinae. Sphenodontines first appeared during the Early Jurassic, and are characterised by a complete lower temporal bar caused by the fusion of the quadrate/quadratojugal and the jugal The jugal is a skull bone found in most reptiles, amphibians and birds. In mammals, the jugal is often called the malar or zygomatic. It is connected to th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sphenodontidae
Sphenodontidae is a family within the reptile group Rhynchocephalia, comprising taxa most closely related to the living tuatara of the genus ''Sphenodon''. Historically the taxa included within Sphenodontidae have varied greatly between analyses, and the group has lacked a formal definition. '' Cynosphenodon'' from the Early Jurassic of Mexico has consistently been recovered as a close relative of the tuatara in most analyses, with the clade containing the two often called Sphenodontinae. The herbivorous Eilenodontinae, otherwise considered part of Opisthodontia, is also sometimes considered part of this family as the sister group to Sphenodontinae. Sphenodontines first appeared during the Early Jurassic, and are characterised by a complete lower temporal bar caused by the fusion of the quadrate/quadratojugal and the jugal The jugal is a skull bone found in most reptiles, amphibians and birds. In mammals, the jugal is often called the malar or zygomatic. It is connected to t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sapheosaurus
''Sapheosaurus'' was an extinct genus of Late Jurassic Sphenodontia, sphenodont. Its skull was longer and narrower than that of ''Homoeosaurus''. It was classified as a genus of sapheosaur by Michael Benton in 1985. It reached a length of 70 cm from snout to tail. ''Sapheosaurus'' belongs to the clade Sapheosauridae, that also includes other taxa like ''Kallimodon''. It is believed to be one of two aquatic sphenodont lineages, with Pleurosauridae being the other.Marc E. H. Jones, Skull shape and feeding strategy in Sphenodon and other Rhynchocephalia (Diapsida: Lepidosauria), Article in Journal of Morphology 269(8):945-66 · August 2008 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.10634 · Source: PubMed Species ''Sapheosaurus laticeps'' (also known as ''Piocormus'') differed from ''Sapheosaurus thiollierei'' by its smaller size and more vertebrae. ''S. thiollierei'' had 22 back and neck vertebrae, while ''S. laticeps'' had 26. Also, the two differ in relative limb length. ''S. laticeps'' lived in F ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kallimodon
''Kallimodon'' is a genus of sphenodont from the Late Jurassic of Bavaria, southern Germany. Systematics ''Kallimodon'' was originally described as a species of ''Homoeosaurus'' by Karl von Zittel in 1887. However, in 1963 it was renamed ''Kallimodon'' due to differences from the ''Homoeosaurus'' type species. In 1997, ''Kallimodon'' was sunk as a junior synonym of ''Leptosaurus ''Leptosaurus'' is a genus of sphenodont from the Late Jurassic of Bavaria, southern Germany. ''Kallimodon'', at times synonymized with ''Leptosaurus'', is actually a distinct genus more closely related to ''Sapheosaurus ''Sapheosaurus'' was ...'', with the type species referred to as ''L. pulchellus''. However, subsequent studies find ''Kallimodon'' to be valid and distinct from ''Leptosaurus'', being closely related to ''Sapheosaurus''. One specimen previously referred to this genus is actually a distinct taxon.Oliver W. M. Rauhut & Adriana López-Arbarello (2015) Zur Taxonomie der Brückenechse ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
