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Sphenodontid
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 tuatar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Opisthodontia (reptiles)
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 o ... [...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] |
Sphenodon Punctatus
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] |
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] |
Paleollanosaurus
''Paleollanosaurus'' is an extinct genus of sphenodontid reptile that lived during the Late Triassic (Norian and Rhaetian) of Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel .... References {{Reflist Reptiles described in 2004 Late Triassic animals of Europe Sphenodontia Prehistoric reptile genera ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pelecymala
''Pelecymala'' is an extinct genus of sphenodontian reptile that lived in southwest England during the Triassic The Triassic ( ) is a geologic period and system which spans 50.6 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.36 Mya. The Triassic is the first and shortest period ... period. It has been recovered in recent studies as a primitive member of the group. References Prehistoric reptile genera Sphenodontia Fossil taxa described in 1986 {{Triassic-animal-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Polysphenodon
''Polysphenodon'' is an extinct genus of clevosaurine reptile from the Late Triassic Keuper Group of Germany,N. C. Fraser and M. J. Benton. (1989) The Triassic reptiles ''Brachyrhinodon'' and ''Polysphenodon'' and the relationships of the sphenodontids. ''Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society'' 96:413-445 discovered within a borehole at below the surface. The type species, ''P. mulleri'', was described by Otto Jaekel Otto Max Johannes Jaekel (21 February 1863 – 6 March 1929) was a German paleontologist and geologist. Biography Jaekel was born in Neusalz (Nowa Sól), Prussian Silesia, the son of a builder and the youngest of seven children. He studied at t ... in 1911.Jaekel, O (1911) Die Wierbeltiere. Eine Übersicht über diefossilen und lebenden Formen. ''Borntraeger, Berlin'', 252p The limbs of ''Polysphenodon'' are long relative to the size of the skull and are similar in proportions to some species of '' Homoeosaurus''. This resemblance is considered to be ind ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Whitakersaurus
''Whitakersaurus'' is a genus of sphenodontid rhynchocephalian reptile dated to be late Triassic in age and is from the Ghost Ranch fossil quarry in New Mexico, USA. It is named after the discoverer of the Ghost Ranch quarry, George O. Whitaker. The fossil was described in 2007. Features The left and right dentary are preserved, along with a fragmentary left maxilla and probable palatal bone, on two blocks of stone. Dentary bones The left dentary is fragmented but still has almost all teeth present, whereas the right dentary is incomplete and has most of the teeth. The left dentary is 11 mm long and has multiple broken teeth or tooth positions. The coronoid process is missing, but there may be a suture present where the dentary was joined to the surangular. A small groove is present on the lingual side of teeth 16-18. The right dentary is only partial, unlike the left dentary where all the fragments are present, but the piece preserved is 9 mm long. The posterior ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Godavarisaurus
''Godavarisaurus'' was a sphenodontid reptile from the Early Jurassic (Hettangian to Pliensbachian) Kota Formation of Andhra Pradesh, India. See also * 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 gr ... References Sphenodontia Jurassic lepidosaurs Extinct animals of India Prehistoric reptile genera {{paleo-reptile-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lamarquesaurus
''Lamarquesaurus'' is an extinct genus of sphenodontian from the Late Cretaceous (Campanian) of Patagonia. It is known from a single species, ''Lamarquesaurus cabazai''. This genus and species is represented by MML-PV-42, a well-preserved right maxillary bone (including 10 teeth of varying completeness). This bone was found at the Cerro Tortuga site near Lamarque, Argentina, which preserves fossils from the Cretaceous Allen Formation. The discoverer of the Cerro Tortuga locality, Tito Cabaza, is the namesake of the species. Description The maxilla is in length; including missing portions it would have been about long if complete. The inner surface of the maxilla is deeply concave but the outer surface has several scattered pits as well as deep facets above the third and fifth teeth. These facets are reminiscent of those which sphenodonts possess on the lower jaw due to abrasion from teeth of the upper jaw, but this cannot be the case in ''Lamarquesaurus'''s maxilla. This is b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pamizinsaurus
''Pamizinisaurus'' is a genus of sphenodontian reptile known from Lower Cretaceous (Albian) Tlayúa Formation of Mexico. A crushed skeleton of a juvenile reptile was found in Tlayua Quarry, in central Mexico. It was named ''Pamizinsaurus tlayuaensis'' by Reynoso in 1997, after the name of the quarry of which it was found. Its skull length is . The fossil was covered in small round osteoderms that could have protected it from predators. Relatives Reynoso (1997) argued that ''Pamizinsaurus'' was a genus of the subfamily Sphenodontinae; grouping it with the modern ''Sphenodon'' (better known as the ''Tuatara''), '' Zapatadon'', '' Cynosphenodon'', '' Homoeosaurus'', '' Sapheosaurus'', and ''Ankylosphenodon ''Ankylosphenodon'' is an extinct species of sphenodontian known from Tepexi de Rodriguez, Mexico. It is known from Early Cretaceous sedimentary deposits from the Tlayua formation. Lifestyle ''Ankylosphenodon'' is thought to have been an aqu ...''. References Ext ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sigmala
''Sigmala'' was a reptile from the Late Triassic. Distribution ''Sigmala'' lived in the . Classification ''Sigmala'' was named a sphenodont by R.L. Carroll in 1988. See also *Lepidosauromorpha *Lepidosauria The Lepidosauria (, from Greek meaning ''scaled lizards'') is a subclass or superorder of reptiles, containing the orders Squamata and Rhynchocephalia. Squamata includes snakes, lizards, and amphisbaenians. Squamata contains over 9,000 species, ... References Fossils of Great Britain Sphenodontia Triassic lepidosaurs Fossil taxa described in 1986 {{triassic-reptile-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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