''Kallimodon'' is a genus of

sphenodont Rhynchocephalia (; ) is an order of lizard-like reptiles that includes only one living species, the tuatara (''Sphenodon punctatus'') of New Zealand. Despite its current lack of diversity, during the Mesozoic rhynchocephalians were a diverse gro ...

from the Late Jurassic of Bavaria, southern Germany.

Systematics

''Kallimodon'' was originally described as a species of ''

Homoeosaurus ''Homoeosaurus'' is an extinct genus of sphenodont reptile. It was found in limestone in Bavaria, Germany, as well as in France and the United Kingdom. It was related to the modern tuatara, though it was a considerably more gracile. There were se ...

'' by

Karl von Zittel Karl Alfred Ritter von Zittel (25 September 1839 – 5 January 1904) was a German palaeontologist best known for his ''Handbuch der Palaeontologie'' (1876–1880). Biography Karl Alfred von Zittel was born in Bahlingen in the Grand Duchy ...

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 aus dem oberen Jura von Schamhaupten. n the taxonomy of rhynchocephalians from the Late Jurassic of Schamhaupten''Archaeopteryx'' 33: 1-11 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301517359_Zur_Taxonomie_der_Bruckenechse_aus_dem_oberen_Jura_von_Schamhaupten_On_the_taxonomy_of_the_rhynchocephalian_from_the_Late_Jurassic_of_Schamhaupten

References

Sphenodontia Late Jurassic reptiles of Europe {{paleo-reptile-stub