''Sciroseps'' is an extinct genus of
scincomorph squamates known from a partial left mandible, UA-2016-13-294, from the
Early Cretaceous
The Early Cretaceous ( geochronological name) or the Lower Cretaceous (chronostratigraphic name), is the earlier or lower of the two major divisions of the Cretaceous. It is usually considered to stretch from 145 Ma to 100.5 Ma.
Geology
Pro ...
(
Albian)
Holly Creek Formation
The Holly Creek Formation is a geologic formation in Arkansas. It preserves fossils dating back to the Cretaceous period which belong to the Trinity Group.
Flora
* Cheirolepidiaceae
Fauna
* Indeterminate Chondrichthyes
* Indeterminate Act ...
of the
Trinity Group
The Trinity Group is a group (sequence of rock strata) in the Lower Cretaceous lithostratigraphy of Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana and Oklahoma. It is named for the Trinity River of Texas.
A stratigraphic column at the Mount Bonnell Fau ...
in Arkansas, USA. The type and only species is ''Sciroseps pawhuskai''. Its generic name is derived from Greek ''"σκυρος: skiros" (gypsum),'' and ''"σεπος: sepos" (lizard or snake);'' and its species name refers to historic Osage chief
Pawhuska.
''Sciroseps'' is thought to be related to a clade
containing the extinct
Paramacellodidae and the extant
Cordylidae. Suarez ''et al.'' list the defining
autapomorphies for this taxon as a more gracile and convex dentary, less robust and shorter subdental laminae, dental coronae lacking lingual striae, overall more "gracile" dentition, subpleurodont tooth attachments, spatulate coronae, equal-in-length crista mesialis and crista distalis of posteriormost teeth, wider pars furcata, smaller crista intercuspidalis, "a more acutely pointed apex of the surangular notch, angular clasping of the surangular process of the dentary, coronoid process less exposed laterally between coronoid and surangular, tooth crowns more triangular, tooth crowns extending further beyond lateral parapet of dentary, and presence of well-defined inferior alveolar foramen in splenial," robust tooth shafts and widely spaced, taller, pointed coronae, lacking a distinct cusp of the angulis mesialis.
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References
Scincomorpha
Cretaceous lizards
Late Cretaceous lepidosaurs
Fossil taxa described in 2021
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