- Sphenodontia
Taxobox
name = Sphenodonts
fossil_range =Late Triassic - Recent
status =
image_width = 200px
image_caption = "Sphenodon"
regnum =Animal ia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Sauropsida
ordo = Sphenodontia
ordo_authority = Williston, 1925
subdivision_ranks = Families
subdivision =
* Gephyrosauridae
*Pleurosauridae
* SphenodontidaeSphenodontia is an order of lizard-like reptiles that includes only one living genus, the
tuatara ("Sphenodon"). Despite its current lack of diversity, the Sphenodontia at one time included a wide array of genera in several families, and represents a lineage stretching back to theMesozoic Era.Taxonomy
Sphenodontia, once a wastebin taxon containing a diverse array of unrelated reptiles (notably the
rhynchosaur s), today consists of three families: the possiblyparaphyletic Gephyrosauridae, the Pleurosauridae, and the Sphenodontidae. Sphenodontidae is the family which contains all modern tuatara, as well as a number of extinct subfamilies.Classification
Classification follows Wu (1994),citequote Evans "et al." (2001),citequote and Apesteguia & Novas (2003) [ [http://www.fmnh.helsinki.fi/users/haaramo/Metazoa/Deuterostoma/Chordata/Reptilia/Lepidosauromorpha/Sphenodontida.htm Mikko's Phylogeny Archive ] ] .
* Order RHYNCHOCEPHALIA / SPHENODONTIA
** Family Gephyrosauridae
*** "Gephyrosaurus "
*** "Diphydontosaurus "
** FamilyPleurosauridae
*** "Palaeopleurosaurus "
*** "Pleurosaurus "
** Family Sphenodontidae
*** "Colognathus "
*** "Godavarisaurus "
*** "Kawasphenodon "
*** "Lamarquesaurus "
*** "Leptosaurus "
*** "Pelecymela "
*** "Piocormus "
*** "Sigmala "
*** "Theretairus "
*** "Tingitana"
*** "Rebbanasaurus "
*** "Planocephalosaurus "
*** "Polysphenodon "
*** "Brachyrhinodon "
*** "Clevosaurus "
*** Subfamily Sphenodontinae
**** "Homoeosaurus "
**** "Kallimodon "
**** "Sapheosaurus "
**** "Ankylosphenodon "
**** "Pamizinsaurus "
**** "Zapatadon "
**** Tribe Sphenodontini
***** "Cynosphenodon "
***** "Sphenodon" (tuatara )
**** (unranked) Opisthodontia
***** "Opisthias "
***** Tribe Eilenodontini
****** "Toxolophosaurus "
****** "Priosphenodon "
****** "Eilenodon "References
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