Basic info Taxonomic history Classification Included Taxa
Morphology Ecology and taphonomy External Literature Search Age range and collections

Platynota

Reptilia

Taxonomy
Platynota was named by Baur (1890). It is extant. It was considered monophyletic by Conrad (2006).

It was reranked as the superfamily Platynota by Kuhn (1946) and McDowell and Bogert (1954); it was synonymized subjectively with Varanoidea by Kuhn (1966); it was reranked as the unranked clade Platynota by Cernansky et al. (2015).

It was assigned to Lacertilia by Kuhn (1946); to Anguinomorpha by McDowell and Bogert (1954); to Lacertilia by Miller (1967); to Squamata by Wiffen (1990); to Sauria by Wiffen (1980) and Lingham-Soliar (1995); to Anguimorpha by Estes (1964), Welles and Gregg (1971), Borsuk-Bialynicka (1984), Nydam (2000) and Nydam (2002); to Anguiformes by Conrad (2006); and to Anguimorpha by Evans (1994), Evans et al. (2006), Norell et al. (2007) and Cernansky et al. (2015).

Synonymy list
YearName and author
1890Platynota Baur
1946Platynota Kuhn p. 60
1954Platynota McDowell and Bogert p. 131
1964Platynota Estes p. 128
1967Platynota Miller p. 227
1971Platynota Welles and Gregg p. 49
1980Platynota Wiffen p. 508
1984Platynota Borsuk-Bialynicka p. 25
1990Platynota Wiffen p. 67
1994Platynota Evans p. 35
1995Platynota Lingham-Soliar
2000Platynota Nydam
2002Platynota Nydam p. 652
2006Platynota Conrad p. 122
2006Platynota Evans et al. p. 1145
2007Platynota Norell et al. p. 3
2015Platynota Cernansky et al. p. 112

Is something missing? Join the Paleobiology Database and enter the data

RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
Bilateria
EubilateriaAx 1987
Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
Tetrapoda
RankNameAuthor
Reptiliomorpha
Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
Cotylosauria()
Amniota
Sauropsida
classReptilia
Squamata()
Anguimorpha(Fürbringer 1900)
Anguiformes(Bonaparte 1831)
infraorderPlatynotaBaur 1890
infraorderPlatynotaBaur 1890

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

Infraor. Platynota Baur 1890
show all | hide all
G. †Cemeterius Longrich et al. 2012
hide
Cemeterius monstrosus Longrich et al. 2012
G. †Colpodontosaurus Estes 1964
hide
G. †Kaganaias Evans et al. 2006
hide
Kaganaias hakusanensis Evans et al. 2006
G. †Litakis Estes 1964
hide
Litakis gilmorei Estes 1964
G. †Parasaniwa Gilmore 1928
hide
Parasaniwa cynochoros Nydam 2013
Parasaniwa wyomingensis Gilmore 1928
+
Invalid names: Parasaniwa obtusa Gilmore 1928 [synonym]
G. †Parviderma Borsuk-Bialynicka 1984
hide
Parviderma inexacta Borsuk-Bialynicka 1984
Fm. Shinisauridae Ahl 1930
hide
+
Bahndwivici ammoskius Conrad 2006
G. Shinisaurus Ahl 1930 [Chinese crocodile lizard]
+
Shinisaurus crocodilurus Ahl 1930 [Chinese crocodile lizard]
Superfm. †Varanoidea Gray 1827
hide
G. †Aiolosaurus Gao and Norell 2000
+
Aiolosaurus oriens Gao and Norell 2000
G. †Arcanosaurus Houssaye et al. 2013
+
Arcanosaurus ibericus Houssaye et al. 2013
G. Heloderma Wiegmann 1829 [beaded lizard]
+
Heloderma horridum Wiegmann 1829 [Beaded lizard]
Heloderma suspectum Cope 1869 [Gila monster]
+
Heloderma suspectum cinctum Bogert and Martin del Campo 1956 [Banded gila monster]
Heloderma suspectum suspectum Cope 1869 [Reticulated gila monster]
Heloderma texana Stevens 1977
Invalid names: Trachyderma Wiedmann 1829 [replaced]
G. †Judeasaurus Haber and Polcyn 2005
+
Judeasaurus tchernovi Haber and Polcyn 2005
G. †Ovoo Norell et al. 2007
+
Ovoo gurvel Norell et al. 2007
Fm. †Pachyvaranidae Kuhn 1961
+
G. †Pachyvaranus Arambourg 1952
+
Pachyvaranus crassispondylus Arambourg 1952
Subfm. †Saniwinae Camp 1923
+
G. †Saniwa Leidy 1870
+
Saniwa edura Smith 2006
Saniwa ensidens Leidy 1870
+
Invalid names: Saniwa brooksi Brattstrom 1955 [synonym], Saniwa major Leidy 1873 [synonym], Thinosaurus agilis Marsh 1872 [synonym], Thinosaurus crassus Marsh 1872 [synonym], Thinosaurus grandis Marsh 1872 [synonym], Thinosaurus leptodus Marsh 1872 [synonym], Thinosaurus paucidens Marsh 1872 [synonym]
Saniwa orsmaelensis Dollo 1923
Invalid names: Thinosaurus Marsh 1872 [synonym]
Fm. Varanidae Hardwicke and Gray 1824 [monitor lizard]
+
G. †Archaeovaranus Dong et al. 2022
+
Archaeovaranus lii Dong et al. 2022
G. †Cherminotus Borsuk-Bialynicka 1984
+
Cherminotus longifrons Borsuk-Bialynicka 1984
G. Lanthanotus Steindachner 1877 [earless monitor lizard]
+
Lanthanotus borneensis Steindachner 1878 [Borneo earless monitor]
G. †Saniwides Borsuk-Bialynicka 1984
+
Saniwides mongoliensis Borsuk-Bialynicka 1984
G. †Telmasaurus Gilmore 1943
+
Telmasaurus grangeri Gilmore 1943
G. Varanus Merrem 1820
+
Subg. †Varanus (Varaneades) Conrad et al. 2012
Varanus acanthurus Boulenger 1885 [Ridgetail monitor]
Varanus albigularis Daudin 1802 [White-throated monitor]
Varanus baritji King and Horner 1987 [Stone monitor]
Varanus beccarii Doria 1874 [Black tree monitor]
Varanus bengalensis Daudin 1802 [Bengal monitor]
Varanus bogerti Mertens 1950 [Bogert's monitor]
Varanus brevicauda Boulenger 1898 [Short-tail monitor]
Varanus caudolineatus Boulenger 1885 [Stripetail monitor]
Varanus doreanus Bohme et al. 1994 [Bluetail monitor]
Varanus dumerili Schlegel 1839 [Dumeril's monitor]
Varanus eremitus De Vis 1889
Varanus eremius Lucas and Frost 1895 [Spinifex monitor]
Varanus exanthematicus Bosc 1792 [savannah monitor]
Varanus gilleni Lucas and Frost 1895 [Pigmy mulga monitor]
Varanus griseus Daudin 1803 [Desert monitor]
Varanus hoffmanni Roger 1898
Varanus hooijeri Brongersma 1958
Varanus komodoensis Ouwens 1912 [Komodo dragon]
Varanus marathonensis Weithofer 1888
+
Invalid names: Varanus amnhophilis Conrad et al. 2012 [synonym], Varanus atticus Nopcsa 1908 [synonym]
Varanus mokrensis Ivanov et al. 2018
Varanus niloticus Linnaeus 1766 [Nile monitor]
Varanus olivaceus Hallowell 1856 [Gray's monitor]
Varanus prasinus Schlegel 1839 [Emerald monitor]
Varanus prisca Owen 1859
+
Invalid names: Notiosaurus dentatus Owen 1884 [synonym], Varanus dirus de Vis 1889 [synonym], Varanus warburtonensis Zeitz 1899 [synonym]
Varanus rusingensis Clos 1995
Varanus salvadorii Peters and Doria 1878 [Crocodile monitor]
Varanus salvator Laurenti 1768 [Common water monitor]
Varanus semiremex Peters 1869
Varanus sivalensis Falconer 1868
Varanus tristis Schlegel 1839 [Arid monitor]
Varanus varius Shaw 1790 [Lace monitor]
Invalid names: Iberovaranus Hoffstetter 1969 [synonym], Megalania Owen 1859 [synonym], Notiosaurus Owen 1884 [synonym], Varanus catalaunicus Hoffstetter 1969 [nomen dubium], Varanus deserticolus Bolkay 1913 [nomen dubium], Varanus lemoinei Nopsca 1908 [nomen dubium], Varanus lungui Zerova and Chkhikvadze 1986 [nomen dubium], Varanus semjonovi Zerova and Chkhikvadze 1986 [nomen dubium], Varanus tyrasiensis Lungu et al. 1983 [nomen dubium]
Invalid names: Megalaninae Camp 1923 [empty], Varaninae [empty]
Invalid names: Helodermatidae Gray 1837 [empty], Helodermatoidea Baur 1890 [synonym], Lanthanotidae Steindachner 1878 [empty]
Invalid names: Shinisauria Conrad 2008 [empty]
Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
S. B. McDowell and C. M. Bogert 1954Splenial with reduced posterior extent, not extending back to the level of the apex of the coronoid process, forming a vertical suture with the angular at the level of the dentary-surangular suture; Meckelian groove open for a considerable distance be- tween the dentary and the splenial; external bony naris extended back as a slit in the bony roof of the muzzle lateral to the nasal, this slit reaching or almost reaching the frontal; maxilla extending but a short distance beneath the eye or not at all, the maxillary tooth row entirely preorbital; proximal bases of the teeth expanded and sculptured with a fine vertical fluting.