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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 ( / ˌrɪŋkoʊsɪˈfeɪliə /; 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 diversity.
Mar 3, 2022 · Sphenodontians are one of the longest living lineages of extant reptiles, with a fossil record of at least 230 million years 1 and with recent morphological and molecular clock estimates...
The tuatara ( Sphenodon punctatus) is a species of reptile endemic to New Zealand. Despite its close resemblance to lizards, it is part of a distinct lineage, the order Rhynchocephalia. [8] The name tuatara is derived from the Māori language and means "peaks on the back".
Dec 11, 2015 · Sphenodontia includes only one living genus that has just two living species, both tuataras (Sphenodon). The tuatara is a sphenodont that is found only in New Zealand. The two species of tuatara are the only surviving members of the sphenodontians, who lived around 200 million years ago.
Sphenodontidae. The Sphenodontia is a diverse group of reptile. It includes only one living genus, the tuatara ( Sphenodon ). An alternative name for the order is the Rhynchocephalia. They are an offshoot from the evolutionary line leading to the lizards and snakes.
All sphenodontids belong to the Lepidosauria, a group of diapsids that includes snakes, lizards, and mosasaurs. Sphenodontids first appear as jaw fossils in the Lower Triassic. However, these fossils do not have enough information to say with certainty that they belong to sphenodontids. Complete skeletons from the Late Triassic of Europe are ...
