''Polysphenodon'' is an extinct genus of clevosaurine reptile from the

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 ...

Keuper Group The Keuper is a lithostratigraphic unit (a sequence of rock strata) in the subsurface of large parts of west and central Europe. The Keuper consists of dolomite, shales or claystones and evaporites that were deposited during the Middle and La ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

,N. C. Fraser and M. J. Benton. (1989) The Triassic reptiles ''

Brachyrhinodon ''Brachyrhinodon'' (meaning "short nose tooth") is an extinct genus of sphenodontian from the Late Triassic Lossiemouth Sandstone of Scotland. It is related to the tuatara, the only member of its order that is not extinct. ''Brachyrhinodon'' ...

'' and ''Polysphenodon'' and the relationships of the sphenodontids. ''

Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society The ''Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society'' is a monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal covering zoology published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Linnean Society. The editor-in-chief is Maarten Christenhusz (Linnean Society). ...

'' 96:413-445 discovered within a

borehole A borehole is a narrow shaft bored in the ground, either vertically or horizontally. A borehole may be constructed for many different purposes, including the extraction of water ( drilled water well and tube well), other liquids (such as petro ...

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 indicative of similar locomotory requirements rather than close evolutionary relationships.

References

Triassic reptiles of Europe Triassic lepidosaurs Sphenodontia Middle Triassic first appearances Late Triassic extinctions Prehistoric reptile genera {{triassic-reptile-stub