''Geiseleptes'' is a genus of extinct sphaerodactylid

gecko Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous lizards that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except Antarctica. Belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, geckos are found in warm climates. They range from . Geckos are unique among lizards ...

s that lived in the

Eocene The Eocene ( ) is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes ...

(Middle

Paleogene The Paleogene Period ( ; also spelled Palaeogene or Palæogene) is a geologic period and system that spans 43 million years from the end of the Cretaceous Period Ma (million years ago) to the beginning of the Neogene Period Ma. It is the fir ...

, 47 Ma) of

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. The genus is made up of one species, ''Geiseleptes delfinoi''. The genus is named after the site of discovery, the Geiseltal coal mine, while the specific name honors paleoherpetologist Massimo Delfino. The species is based on a single fossil, an incomplete skull designated GMH Ce IV-4057-1933, which is split into two parts (dubbed parts a and b). This skull was discovered in 1933 and described in 2022 by a research team led by Dr. Andrea Villa
ICP
UAB), Dr. Oliver Wings ( MLU), and Dr. Marton Rabi (MLU). It is the oldest and most complete

skull found. ''G. delfinoi'' is a close relative to the

European leaf-toed gecko The European leaf-toed gecko (''Euleptes europaea'') is a species of lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae. It is found in coastal regions of France, Italy and Tunisia and on Mediterranean islands. Its natural habitats are rocky areas and rocky ...

(''

Euleptes europaea ''Euleptes'' is a genus of geckos represented by the European leaf-toed gecko (''Euleptes europaea''), the sole extant species. Two extinct species are known from the Miocene of the France, Czech Republic and Slovakia; ''E. gallica'' and ''E. kl ...

'') and represents the oldest known representative of its lineage. 47 million years ago, central Germany would have been subtropical forests. ''Geiseleptes'' implies that European sphaerodactylids (the newly named subfamily Euleptinae) have persisted as a long-lasting and stable lineage.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q113130328

† A dagger, obelisk, or obelus is a typographical mark that usually indicates a footnote if an asterisk has already been used. The symbol is also used to indicate death (of people) or extinction (of species or languages). It is one of the mo ...

Paleogene lizards Fossil taxa described in 2022