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: Sinemurian–Pliensbachian
Holotype specimen, scale bar: 1 cm
Scientific classification Edit this 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
CT scan of skull
Illustration of the skull in lateral view
Sphenodontia

References

edit
  1. ^ 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.