Gephyrosaurus

Gephyrosaurus is an early member of Lepidosauria and the less inclusive grouping Rhynchocephalia (also sometimes referred to as Sphenodontia). It is distantly related to the extant Sphenodon (tuatara of New Zealand) with which it is shares a number of skeletal features including a large tooth row along the side of the palatine bone (part of the palate) and posterior process of the dentary bone (part of the lower jaw).

Distribution

Remains of Gephyrosaurus are known from the Early Jurassic of Wales ( United Kingdom).^[1]

Classification

Gephyrosaurus was first described and named in 1980 by Susan E. Evans.^[1]

See also

• Gephyrosauridae
• Diphydontosaurus
• Rhynchocephalia
• Sphenodontia
• Lepidosauria
• Susan E. Evans

References

• Evans SE. 1980. The skull of a new eosuchian reptile from the Lower Jurassic of South Wales. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 70: 203–264.
• Evans SE. 1981. The postcranial skeleton of the Lower Jurassic eosuchian Gephyrosaurus bridensis. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 73:81–116.
• Evans SE. 1981. Caudal autonomy in a lower Jurassic Eosuchian. Copeia 1981: 883-884.
• Evans SE. 1983. Madibular fracture and inferred behaviour of a fossil reptile. Copeia 1983: 845-847.
• Evans SE. 1985. Tooth replacement in the Lower Jurassic lepidosaur Gephyrosaurus bridensis. Neues Jahrbuch fuir Geologie und Paliontologie, Monatshefte 7:411-420
• Evans SE. 2003. At the feet of the dinosaurs: the early history and radiation of lizards. Biological Reviews, 78:513-551. DOI: 10.1017/S1464793103006134
• Jones MEH. 2008. Skull shape and feeding strategy in Sphenodon and other Rhynchocephalia (Diapsida: Lepidosauria). Journal of Morphology 269: 945–966. DOI: 10.1002/jmor.10634
• Gill PG, Säilä LK, Corfe IJ, Challands TJ, Williams M, Clemens WA. 2006. The fauna and palaeoenvironment of St. Brides Island: Evidence from the lower Jurassic fissure fills of South Wales. In Ninth international symposium on Mesozoic terrestrial ecosystems and biota. (ed. P. M. Barrett & S. E. Evans), pp 48−51. London: Natural History Museum.
• Jones MEH. 2009. Dentary tooth shape in Sphenodon and its fossil relatives (Diapsida: Lepidosauria: Rhynchocephalia). In Koppe T, Meyer G, Alt KW, eds. Interdisciplinary Dental Morphology, Frontiers of Oral Biology (vol 13). Griefswald, Germany; Karger. 9–15.