Saurosternon

Saurosternon Temporal range: Late Permian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Clade:	Neodiapsida
Genus:	†Saurosternon Huxley, 1868
Type species
†Saurosternon bainii Huxley, 1868

Saurosternon is an extinct genus of neodiapsid reptile from the Late Permian of South Africa. It is based on a partial skeleton split between two slabs of sandstone from the Daptocephalus Assemblage Zone.^[1] Saurosternon was one of the earliest small lizard-like reptiles to be discovered in Permian deposits of the Karoo Supergroup, preceding later discoveries such as Paliguana, Youngina, Palaeagama, and Lacertulus. The skeleton is mostly complete, though missing the head. Most of the original bone had decayed away by the time the fossil was discovered, leaving perfect molds in the sandstone slabs. What little bone remained was removed with acid by museum preparators, and the specimen was cast with latex to reconstruct the original bone shape.^[2]

The affinities of Saurosternon are uncertain. Several studies interpreted it as one of the earliest lepidosauromorphs, the reptile group including squamates (lizards and snakes), rhynchocephalians (tuatara and kin), and their close relatives.^[3] One study proposed that Saurosternon was a "paliguanid", a suggested (and likely invalid) ancestral family of lizards also including Paliguana and Palaeagama.^[2] More recently it has generally been considered an early neodiapsid outside of Sauria (the crown group of reptiles).^[4][5]

References

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Sauropsida (Reptilia sensu lato)

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Superclass: Tetrapoda Clade: Amniota
Tetrapodomorpha see Tetrapodomorpha Reptiliomorpha see Reptiliomorpha Sauropsida see below↓

Sauropsida
Sauropsida †Australothyris †Erpetonyx †Microleter †Acleistorhinidae Acleistorhinus Carbonodraco Colobomycter? Delorhynchus? Feeserpeton? Karutia †Bolosauridae Belebey Bolosaurus Eudibamus †Mesosauria Brazilosaurus Mesosaurus Stereosternum †Millerettidae Broomia Heleophilus Milleretta Millerosaurus Milleropsis Nanomilleretta †Procolophonia see Procolophonia Diapsida see below↓

Diapsida
Diapsida †Adelosaurus? †Claudiosaurus †Cryptovaranoides †Dolerosaurus †Eunotosaurus? †Feralisaurus †Heleosuchus †Kenyasaurus †Kudnu †Lanthanolania †Maiothisavros †Orovenator †Palacrodon †Palaeagama †Saurosternon †Sphodrosaurus †Younginidae Galesphyrus Thadeosaurus Youngina †Tangasauridae Acerosodontosaurus? Hovasaurus Tangasaurus †Weigeltisauridae Coelurosauravus Glaurung Rautiania Weigeltisaurus †Ichthyosauromorpha see Ichthyosauromorpha †Helveticosauridae Eusaurosphargis? Helveticosaurus †Saurosphargidae Hemilopas? Largocephalosaurus Prosaurosphargis Saurosphargis Sinosaurosphargis Stauromatodon? †Sauropterygia see Sauropterygia †Thalattosauria Blezingeria? Neosinasaurus? Askeptosauroidea Anshunsaurus Askeptosaurus Endennasaurus Miodentosaurus Wayaosaurus Thalattosauroidea Agkistrognathus Clarazia Concavispina Gunakadeit Hescheleria Nectosaurus Paralonectes Thalattosaurus Wapitisaurus? Xinpusaurus †Choristodera Coeruleodraco Cteniogenys Heishanosaurus Irenosaurus Pachystropheus? Allochoristodera Hyphalosaurus Shokawa Monjurosuchus Philydrosaurus Khurendukhosaurus Lazarussuchus Neochoristodera Champsosaurus Ikechosaurus Kosmodraco Liaoxisaurus Mengshanosaurus Simoedosaurus Tchoiria †Drepanosauromorpha Ancistronychus Avicranium Dolabrosaurus Drepanosaurus Hypuronector Kyrgyzsaurus Longisquama? Megalancosaurus Protoavis? Skybalonyx Vallesaurus †Kuehneosauridae Icarosaurus Kuehneosaurus Kuehneosuchus Pamelina Rhabdopelix? Sauria (Crown-Reptilia) Lepidosauromorpha see Lepidosauromorpha Includes Lepidosauria includes rhynchocephalians and squamates Archelosauria Archosauromorpha see Archosauromorpha Includes Archosauria includes birds and crocodilians Pantestudines see Pantestudines Includes Testudines turtles

See also
Possible sauropsids Araeoscelidia Captorhinidae Protorothyrididae Recumbirostra Varanopidae Other taxa Anapsida Captorhinida Eureptilia Parareptilia Lanthanosuchoidea Millerosauria Procolophonomorpha Ankyramorpha Neodiapsida Eosuchia Younginiformes Avicephala Euryapsida

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