Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Rhynchocephalia (/ ˌ r ɪ ŋ k oʊ s ɪ ˈ f eɪ l i ə /; lit. ' beak-heads ') is an order of lizard-like reptiles that includes only one living species, the tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) of New Zealand. Despite its current lack of diversity, during the Mesozoic rhynchocephalians were a speciose group with high morphological and ecological ...
At one point, many disparate species were incorrectly referred to the Rhynchocephalia, resulting in what taxonomists call a "wastebasket taxon". [31] Williston in 1925 proposed the Sphenodontia to include only tuatara and their closest fossil relatives. [31] However, Rhynchocephalia is the older name [30] and in widespread use today. Many ...
Sphenodontidae is a family within the reptile group Rhynchocephalia, comprising taxa most closely related to the living tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus).Historically the taxa included within Sphenodontidae have varied greatly between analyses, and the group has lacked a formal definition. [2]
Rhynchocephalia was a formerly widespread and diverse group of reptiles in the Mesozoic Era. [4] However, it is represented by only one living species: the tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus), a superficially lizard-like reptile native to New Zealand. [5] [6]
Squamata and Rhynchocephalia form the subclass Lepidosauria, which is the sister group to the Archosauria, the clade that contains crocodiles and birds, and their extinct relatives. Fossils of rhynchocephalians first appear in the Early Triassic , meaning that the lineage leading to squamates must have also existed at the time.
This is an accepted version of this page This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 6 March 2025. Class of animals This article is about the animal class. For other uses, see Reptile (disambiguation). Reptiles Temporal range: Late Carboniferous–Present PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Tuatara Saltwater crocodile Common box turtle Ladder snake Scientific classification Domain: Eukaryota ...
Rhynchocephalia — an order of lizard-like reptiles, slightly broader than the near-equivalent Sphenodontia; Subcategories. This category has only the following ...
A schematic of an anapsid skull showing the location of major dermal bones of the upper skull, including the quadrate bone (q).. The quadrate bone is a skull bone in most tetrapods, including amphibians, sauropsids (reptiles, birds), and early synapsids.