Spathorhynchus

Extinct genus of lizards

Spathorhynchus
Temporal range: Middle Eocene - Early Oligocene, 40–30 Ma
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Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Rhineuridae
Genus: Spathorhynchus
Berman, 1973
Species
  • S. fossorium Berman, 1973 (type)
  • S. natronicus Berman, 1977

Spathorhynchus is an extinct genus of amphisbaenians or worm lizards that existed from the Middle Eocene to the Early Oligocene in what is now Wyoming. It includes two species, the type species S. fossorium, named in 1973 from the Middle Eocene Bridger and Wind River Formations, and the species S. natronicus, named in 1977 from the Lower Oligocene White River Formation. Spathorhynchus belongs to the family Rhineuridae, which includes many other extinct species that ranged across North America at various times in the Cenozoic but only has one surviving member, Rhineura floridana, from Florida. Spathorhynchus differs from all other rhineurids except Dyticonastis from the Late Oligocene-Early Miocene of Oregon in having a slightly widened, spatula-shaped snout tip with a low angle of about 30 degrees. The two taxa may be closely related, having evolved in isolation in western North America after the formation of the Rocky Mountains separated them from rhineurids further east.[1]

References

  1. ^ Hembree, D.I. (2007). "Phylogenetic revision of Rhineuridae (Reptilia: Squamata: Amphisbaenia) from the Eocene to Miocene of North America". The University of Kansas Paleontological Contributions. 15: 1–20.
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Extinct squamate genera
Acrodonta
Agamidae
Pleurodonta / Iguanoidea
Corytophanidae
Gobiguania
Iguanidae
Phrynosomatidae
Other extinct iguanians
Arretosauridae
  • Arretosaurus
  • Dornosaurus
  • Ergiliinsaurus
  • Khaichinguana
Priscagamidae
Armandisaurus explorator
Chamopsiidae
Gilmoreteiidae / "macrocephalosaurines"
"Polyglyphanodontines"
Other polyglyphanodontians
  • Adamisaurus
  • Funiusaurus
  • Gobinatus
  • Obamadon
  • Olindalacerta?
  • Paleochelco?
  • Peneteius
  • Tchingisaurus
  • Tianyusaurus
  • Tijubina?
  • Tripennaculus
Scincogekkonomorpha
Scleroglossa
Gekkonomorpha
Gekkota
Stem Autarchoglossa
(Evansauria)
  • Parmeosaurus
  • Tepexisaurus
  • Tijubina?
Bainguidae?
Cordyloidea
  • Eocordyla
  • Ornatocephalus
  • Sakurasaurus
Lacertoidea
Amphisbaenia
  • Oligodontosaurus
  • Todrasaurus
Amphisbaenidae
Bipedidae
Blanidae
  • Blanosaurus
  • Cuvieribaena
  • Louisamphisbaena
Chthonophidae
Rhineuridae
Polyodontobaenidae
  • Polyodontobaena
Contogeniidae
  • Contogenys
  • Palaeoscincosaurus
  • Utahgenys
Lacertidae
  • Amblyolacerta
  • Camptognathosaurus?
  • Dormaalisaurus
  • Dracaenosaurus
  • Escampcerta
  • Gracilicerta
  • Ligerosaurus
  • Maioricalacerta
  • Mediolacerta
  • Plesiolacerta
  • Pseudeumeces
  • Pseudolacerta
  • Quercycerta
Teiidae
Barbatteiidae
Xantusiidae
Scincoidea
Scincidae
Other scincomorphs
Paramacellodidae
Basal anguimorphs
Mosasauroidea?
Neoanguimorpha
Carusioidea
Xenosauridae
  • Entomophontes
  • Exostinus
  • Restes
Anguidae
Anguinae
Diploglossinae
  • Apodosauriscus
  • Eodiploglossus
Gerrhonotinae
  • Paragerrhonotus
  • Parophisaurus
Glyptosaurinae
Paleoanguimorpha
Basal varanoids / platynotans
Shinisauria?
Goannasauria
Basal Goannasaurians
Varanoidea
Lanthanotidae
Varanidae
Other platynotans / varanoids
Aigialosaurus dalmaticus

Plioplatecarpus primaevus Estesia mongoliensis Telmasaurus grangeri

Varanus priscus
Indeterminate squamates
Taxon identifiers
Spathorhynchus


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