Clevosaurus Temporal range: Late Triassic - Early Jurassic
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Skulls of Clevosaurus hudsoni (left) and C. cambrica (right) | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Rhynchocephalia |
Family: | †Clevosauridae |
Genus: | †Clevosaurus Swinton, 1939 |
Species | |
See text | |
Synonyms | |
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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]