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Sciroseps
Discussion
The genus name is Latinized from the Greek Skiros (gypsum) Sepos (lizard or snake, and a commonly used root for lizard names), gypsum lizard, an allusion to provenance of the holotype, a gypsum mine.
Taxonomy
Sciroseps was named by Suarez et al. (2021). Its type is Sciroseps pawhuskai.
It was assigned to Paramacellodidae by Suarez et al. (2021).
It was assigned to Paramacellodidae by Suarez et al. (2021).
Species
S. pawhuskai (type species)
Synonymy list
| Year | Name and author |
|---|---|
| 2021 | Sciroseps Suarez et al. |
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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.
Diagnosis
| Reference | Diagnosis | |
|---|---|---|
| C. A. Suarez et al. 2021 | Scincoid broadly similar to Jurassic–Cretaceous lizards of “paramacellodidcordylid grade” (sensu Nydam, 2013a) in tooth morphology and most closely comparable to Pseudosaurillus Hoffstetter, 1967 and Paramacellodus (e.g., P. oweni Hoffstetter, 1967). Differs from the classic Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous European paramacellodids Paramacellodus (P. oweni Hoffstetter, 1967; holotype NHMUK R. 8131–8132, Becklesius (B. hoffstetteri Seiffert, 1975; holotype FUB Gui. A. 56), and Pseudosaurillus (P. becklesi Hoffstetter, 1967; holotype NHMUK R. 8095) in having a more gracile dentary, less robust and dorsoventrally shorter anterior portion of the subdental lamina, and tooth crowns lacking well defined lingual striae (Fig. 5). Sciroseps differs further from Paramacellodus and Pseudosaurillus in having a more convex dentary dorsoventrally, whereas Paramacellodus and Pseudosaurillus have nearly straight dentaries. It differs further from Paramacellodus in having a more gracile dentition, tooth attachments tending to subpleurodont rather than pleurodont, tooth crowns more spatulate, crista mesialis and crista distalis of posteriormost teeth paraequivalent in length, pars furcata wider, and a smaller crista intercuspidalis. Sciroseps differs from Pseudosaurillus in dentary having a more acutely pointed apex of the surangular notch, angular clasping of the surangular process of the dentary, coronoid process less exposed laterally between coronoid and surangular, tooth crowns more triangular, tooth crowns extending further beyond lateral parapet of dentary, and presence of well-defined inferior alveolar foramen in splenial. It further differs from Becklesius in tooth shafts being more robust and tooth crowns more widely spaced. Among the North American lizards of paramacellodid-cordylid grade, it differs from Atokasaurus (A. metarsiodon Nydam & Cifelli, 2002; holotype OMNH 60535) in having taller, more acutely pointed tooth crowns. Sciroseps pawhuskai differs from Paramacellodus keebleri Nydam & Cifelli, 2002; OMNH 60576, in lacking a distinct cusp at the angulis mesialis. It differs from Dakotasaurus (D. gillettorum Nydam, 2013b; holotype MNA V9110) in shorter posterior teeth in dentary, less triangular and more widely spaced tooth crowns. Sciroseps differs from Webbsaurus (W. lofgreni Nydam, 2013b; holotype MNA V10031) in having a convex dentary and more gracile teeth with pointed tooth crowns. Based on these noted distinctions, and the standard practice of naming paleontological material based on phenotypic characteristics (Estes, 1975; Evans & Chure, 1999; Nydam, 2000, 2013b, 2013a; Nydam & Cifelli, 2002; Augé, 2003; DeMar & Breithaupt, 2006; Smith, 2006; Apesteguía, Gómez & Rougier, 2014; Caldwell et al., 2015; Albino, Carrillo-Briceño & Neenan, 2016; Chiarenza & Cau, 2016; Whiteside & Duffin, 2017; Hsiou et al., 2019), the material warrants a new genus: Sciroseps and species: pawhuskai. |
Measurements
No measurements are available
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| Source: c = class, subp = subphylum, uc = unranked clade | |||||
| References: Hendy et al. 2009, Kiessling 2004, Carroll 1988 | |||||