| Basic info | Taxonomic history | Classification | Included Taxa |
| Morphology | Ecology and taphonomy | External Literature Search | Age range and collections |
Archaeovaranus
Taxonomy
Archaeovaranus was named by Dong et al. (2022). Its type is Archaeovaranus lii.
It was assigned to Varanidae by Dong et al. (2022).
It was assigned to Varanidae by Dong et al. (2022).
Species
A. lii (type species)
Synonymy list
| Year | Name and author |
|---|---|
| 2022 | Archaeovaranus Dong et al. |
Is something missing? Join the Paleobiology Database and enter the data
|
|
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 | |
|---|---|---|
| L. Dong et al. 2022 | The new genus and species is a medium-sized stem-varanid that resembles S. ensidens and Varanus and differs from helodermatids, palaeovaranids, lanthanotids and the Late Cretaceous stem-varanids in combining the following characters: posteriorly extended (retracted) external narial openings that reach frontals; a single median nasal; two lacrimal foramina, the ventral of which is fully enclosed by the lacrimal; elongated vomers; a U-shaped palatine; a short maxillary tooth row mostly confined to preorbital region, bearing well-spaced recurved teeth with basal plicidentine; intramandibular joint; splenial positioned anterior to level of dorsal prominence of the coronoid; anterior process of coronoid long; and distinct precondylar constriction on the vertebral centra. Archaeovaranus resembles S. ensidens and differs from Varanus in having cristae cranii of frontal separated in ventral midline, separate postfrontal and postorbital, a complete bony postorbital bar, teeth on palatine and pterygoid, posterolaterally placed basal tubera on basioccipital and a single coracoid emargination. It differs from S. ensidens in having a longer rostrum, two pterygoid tooth rows (versus a single row), and resembles Varanus but not Saniwa in having a dorsal lacrimal foramen enclosed by the prefrontal and lacrimal (rather than being restricted to the lacrimal). Archaeovaranus differs from both S. ensidens and known species of Varanus in having the forelimb and hindlimb, and the humerus and femur, of near equal length. |
Measurements
No measurements are available
|
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
|
||||
| Source: f = family, c = class, subp = subphylum | |||||
| References: Carroll 1988, Pianka and Vitt 2003, Hendy et al. 2009 | |||||
Age range: Early/Lower Eocene or 56.00000 to 48.07000 Ma
Collections: one only
| Time interval | Ma | Country or state | Original ID and collection number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early/Lower Eocene | China (Hubei) | A. lii (175177) |