Navajosphenodon is an extinct genus of sphenodontid reptile from the Early Jurassic Kayenta Formation of Arizona, United States. It is known from a fully articulated skeleton and is similar in many aspects to the extant tuatara, both belonging to the Sphenodontinae, including sharing a complete lower temporal bar. It is one of the oldest known sphenodontines.[1]
Navajosphenodon Temporal range:
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Holotype specimen, scale bar: 1 cm | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Rhynchocephalia |
Family: | Sphenodontidae |
Subfamily: | Sphenodontinae |
Genus: | †Navajosphenodon Simões, Kinney-Broderick & Pierce, 2022 |
Type species | |
Navajosphenodon sani Simões, Kinney-Broderick & Pierce, 2022
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Sphenodontia |
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References
edit- ^ Simões, Tiago R.; Kinney-Broderick, Grace; Pierce, Stephanie E. (2022-03-03). "An exceptionally preserved Sphenodon-like sphenodontian reveals deep time conservation of the tuatara skeleton and ontogeny". Communications Biology. 5 (1): 195. doi:10.1038/s42003-022-03144-y. ISSN 2399-3642. PMC 8894340. PMID 35241764.