Clevosaurus

Clevosaurus
Temporal range: Late Triassic - Early Jurassic Carnian–Sinemurian
Skulls of Clevosaurus hudsoni (left) and C. cambrica (right)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Rhynchocephalia
Family: Clevosauridae
Genus: Clevosaurus
Swinton, 1939
Species

See text

Synonyms
  • Dianosaurus Young, 1982

Clevosaurus (meaning "Gloucester lizard") is an extinct genus of rhynchocephalian reptile from the Late Triassic and the Early Jurassic periods. Species of Clevosaurus were widespread across Pangaea, and have been found on all continents except Australia and Antarctica.[1] Five species of Clevosaurus have been found in ancient fissure fill deposits in south-west England and Wales, alongside other sphenodontians, early mammals and dinosaurs. In regards to its Pangaean distribution, C. hadroprodon is the oldest record of a sphenodontian from Gondwana,[2] though its affinity to Clevosaurus has been questioned.[3]

Reconstructions of the skulls of C. hudsoni (A) and C. cambrica (B), reconstructed areas in orange.
  1. ^ Sues, H. D.; Reisz, R. (1995). "First record of the early mesozoic sphenodontian clevosaurus (lepidosauria: rhynchocephalia) from the southern hemisphere". Journal of Paleontology. 69 (1): 123–126. Bibcode:1995JPal...69..123S. doi:10.1017/s0022336000026974. S2CID 131414921.
  2. ^ "A new sphenodontian from Brazil is the oldest record of the group in Gondwana". phys.org. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
  3. ^ Chambi-Trowell, Sofia A. V.; Martinelli, Agustín G.; Whiteside, David I.; Vivar, Paulo R. Romo de; Soares, Marina Bento; Schultz, Cesar L.; Gill, Pamela G.; Benton, Michael J.; Rayfield, Emily J. (2021-06-03). "The diversity of Triassic South American sphenodontians: a new basal form, clevosaurs, and a revision of rhynchocephalian phylogeny". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 19 (11): 787–820. Bibcode:2021JSPal..19..787C. doi:10.1080/14772019.2021.1976292. hdl:1983/af14affc-a26e-426b-83ca-e1833e355882. ISSN 1477-2019. S2CID 240487298.