| Scleromochlus Temporal range: Late Triassic, Carnian |
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| Life restoration of Scleromochlus taylori | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Node: | Ornithodira |
| Branch: | †Pterosauromorpha |
| Family: | †Scleromochlidae Huene, 1914 |
| Genus: | †Scleromochlus Woodward, 1907 |
| Species: | †S. taylori |
| Binomial name | |
| Scleromochlus taylori Woodward, 1907 |
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Scleromochlus is an extinct genus of small avemetatarsalian from the Late Triassic period. A lightly built cursorial animal, its phylogenetic position has been debated; as different analyses have found it to be either the basal-most ornithodiran, the sister-taxon to Pterosauria, or a basal member of Avemetatarsalia that lies outside of Ornithodira.
Scleromochlus is a monotypic genus (single species), which is the type species S. taylori.
Scleromochlus taylori was about 181 mm (about 7.1 inches) long, with long hind legs; it may have been capable of four-legged and two-legged locomotion.
Its fossils have been found in the Carnian Lossiemouth Sandstone of Scotland. The holotype is BMNH R3556, a partial skeleton preserved as an impression in sandstone; part of the skull and tail are missing.[1]
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