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Diphydontosaurus
''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 primi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rhynchocephalia
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 group including a wide array of morphologically distinct forms. The oldest record of the group is dated to the Middle Triassic around 238 to 240 million years ago, and they had achieved a worldwide distribution by the Early Jurassic. Most rhynchocephalians belong to the group Sphenodontia ('wedge-teeth'). Their closest living relatives are lizards and snakes in the order Squamata, with the two orders being grouped together in the superorder Lepidosauria. Many of the niches occupied by lizards today were held by sphenodontians during the Triassic and Jurassic, although lizard diversity began to overtake sphenodontian diversity in the Cretaceous, and they had disappeared almost entirely by the beginning of the Cenozoic. While the modern tuat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Planocephalosaurus
''Planocephalosaurus'' is an extinct genus of rhynchocephalian. Fossils of the genus were found in the Tecovas Formation of Texas and the Magnesian Conglomerate of England. ''Planocephalosaurus'' was one of the first sphenodonts and bore a strong resemblance to the extant tuatara, albeit much smaller, at only in length. The creature is presumed to have fed on large invertebrates and small vertebrates. Dentition ''Planocephalosaurus'' exhibits very interesting dentition. Initially, it was believed to have been attached to the bone via acrodont tooth implantation, however, after this specimen was exposed to X-radiography it was determined that this animal has a combination of different tooth implantation types. Similar to another rhynchocephalian, ''Diphydontosaurus'', it possesses acrodont teeth in the posterior portion of the jaw, and pleurodont dentition in the anterior portion. ''Planocephalosauruss teeth were also fused with the cartilage, unlike its only extant Extant ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 means "peaks on the back". The single extant species of tuatara is the only surviving member of its order. Rhynchocephalians originated during the Triassic (~250 million years ago), reached worldwide distribution and peak diversity during the Jurassic and, with the exception of tuatara, were extinct by 60 million years ago. Their closest living relatives are squamates (lizards and snakes). For this reason, tuatara are of interest in the study of the evolution of lizards and snakes, and for the reconstruction of the appearance and habits of the earliest diapsids, a group of amniote tetrapods that also includes dinosaurs (including birds) and crocodilians. Tuatara are greenish brown and grey, and measure up to from head to tail-tip a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sphenodon
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 means "peaks on the back". The single extant species of tuatara is the only surviving member of its order. Rhynchocephalians originated during the Triassic (~250 million years ago), reached worldwide distribution and peak diversity during the Jurassic and, with the exception of tuatara, were extinct by 60 million years ago. Their closest living relatives are squamates (lizards and snakes). For this reason, tuatara are of interest in the study of the evolution of lizards and snakes, and for the reconstruction of the appearance and habits of the earliest diapsids, a group of amniote tetrapods that also includes dinosaurs (including birds) and crocodilians. Tuatara are greenish brown and grey, and measure up to from head to tail-tip and w ... [...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'', 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 N, or n, is the fourteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western Europe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sapheosaurus
''Sapheosaurus'' was an extinct genus of Late Jurassic 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 France and ... [...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 ... [...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] |
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 co .... References Jurassic lepidosaurs Jurassic reptiles of Europe Prehistoric reptile genera {{jurassic-reptile-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Palaeopleurosaurus
''Palaeopleurosaurus'' is an extinct genus of diapsid reptiles belonging to the group Sphenodontia.Dupret, V. (2004). The pleurosaurs: anatomy and phylogeny. ''Revue de Paléobiologie'', 9: 61-8/ref> ''Palaeopleurosaurus'' fossils were discovered in Germany (Holzmaden and Kerkhofen) from the Lower Toarcian (Early Jurassic), Posidonia Shale, dated to about 182-180 million years ago.R. L. Carroll, R. L. (1985). ''A pleurosaur from the Lower Jurassic and the taxonomic position of the Sphenodontida''. Palaeontographica Abteilung A, 1985. Volume 189. Pages 1-28. The holotype come from the Middle Section, just under the Seagrasschiefer section (=Bifrons subzone) on both localities, probably linked with the coeval measured sea regression. Initially, ''Paleopleurosaurus'' was described to represent an intermediate morphology between Late Triassic-Lower Jurassic terrestrial sphenodontia and the late Jurassic fully aquatic ''Pleurosaurus''. The study of a new specimen provided additiona ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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