Clevosaurus: Research Database
Rhynchocephalia (Reptilia) · Late Triassic-Early Jurassic (~205-190 MYA) · Global (Marine and Terrestrial)
Research Note: Clevosaurus was a rhynchocephalian from the Late Triassic-Early Jurassic — one of the earliest known rhynchocephalians and an important taxon for understanding the early evolution of rhynchocephalians and lepidosaurs.
| Research Finding | Status | Grade | Year | Method | Citation | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Chambi-Trowell et al. 2018: Clevosaurus and new data on rhynchocephalian diversity in the Early Jurassic
Chambi-Trowell et al. 2018 provide comprehensive data on Clevosaurus and rhynchocephalian diversity in the Early Jurassic, establishing it as a basal rhynchocephalian and documenting early rhynchocephalian evolution
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Confirmed | A | 2018 | Fossil | Chambi-Trowell et al., Acta Palaeontologica Polonica | Diversity |
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Evans 1992: Clevosaurus and additional data on Triassic-Jurassic rhynchocephalian systematics
Evans 1992 provides additional data on Clevosaurus and rhynchocephalian systematics, further contextualising its significance within Rhynchocephalia
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Confirmed | B | 1992 | Fossil | Evans, Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie | Systematics |
Active Debate: Rhynchocephalian Evolution at the Triassic-Jurassic Boundary
Whether Clevosaurus survived the Triassic-Jurassic extinction is debated. The evolution of rhynchocephalians in the Triassic-Jurassic — and their competition with squamates — is key to understanding lepidosaur history.
What We Still Do Not Know About Clevosaurus
- Complete skeletal morphology: Partial specimens known.
- Diet: Likely insectivorous.
- Social behavior: No direct evidence.
- Body covering: Unknown.
In Depth
Clevosaurus is a genus of small lepidosaurian lizard that as a genus had a near global dsitribution during the Triassic and early Jurassic.
Further Reading
– A new Triassic rhynchocephalian from Gloucestershire. Annals and Magazine of Natural History: Zoology, Botany, and Geology 4:591-594. – W. E. Swinton – 1939. – The Osteology and Relationships of Clevosaurus (Reptilia: Sphenodontida). – Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 321(1204):125-178. – N. C. Fraser – 1988. – A new sphenodontian from the early Mesozoic of England and North America: implications for correlating early Mesozoic continental deposits, by N. C. Fraser. – In, The Nonmarine Triassic. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 3:135-139, : S. G. Lucas & M. Morales (eds.) – 1993. – Late Triassic-Early Jurassic sphenodontians from China and the phylogeny of the Sphenodontida. In N. C. Fraser & H.-D. Sues (eds.), In the Shadow of the Dinosaurs: Early Mesozoic Tetrapods. – Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 38-69. – X.-C. Wu – 1994. – A new sphenodontian (Lepidosauria: Rhynchocephalia) from the McCoy Brook Formation (Lower Jurassic) of Nova Scotia, Canada. – Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 14(3):327-340. – H.-D. Sues, N. H. Shubin & P. E. Olsen – 1994. – A new species of the sphenodontian reptile Clevosaurus from the Lower Jurassic of South Wales. – Palaeontology 48 (4): 817–831. – Laura K. S�il� – 2005. – A new species of Clevosaurus (Lepidosauria: Rhynchocephalia) from the Upper Triassic of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. – Palaeontology 49:917-923. – J. F. Bonaparte & H.-D. Sues – 2006. – A distinctive Late Triassic microvertebrate fissure fauna and a new species of Clevosaurus (Lepidosauria: Rhynchocephalia) from Woodleaze Quarry, Gloucestershire, UK. – Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association 126:402-416. – C. G. Klein, D. I. Whiteside, V. S. Lucas, P. A. Viegas & M. J. Benton – 2015. – The terrestrial fauna of the Late Triassic Pant-y-ffynnon Quarry fissures, South Wales, UK and a new species of Clevosaurus (Lepidosauria: Rhynchocephalia). – Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association. 129 (2): 99–119. – Emily Keeble, David I. Whiteside & Michael J. Benton – 2018. – Taxonomic reassessment of Clevosaurus latidens Fraser, 1993 (Lepidosauria, Rhynchocephalia) and rhynchocephalian phylogeny based on parsimony and Bayesian inference. – Journal of Paleontology. 92 (4): 734–742. – Jorge A. Herrera-Flores, Thomas L. Stubbs, Armin Elsler & Michael J. Benton – 2018. – Biomechanical properties of the jaws of two species of Clevosaurus and a reanalysis of rhynchocephalian dentary morphospace. – Palaeontology. 63 (6): 919–939. – Sofia A. V. Chambi-Trowell, David I. Whiteside, Michael J. Benton & Emily J. Rayfield (Stephan Lautenschlager [ed].) – 2020.
