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Sphenodontia facts for kids

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Sphenodonts
Temporal range: Upper Triassic – Recent
Tuatera.JPG
Sphenodon
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Sauropsida
Order:
Sphenodontia

Williston, 1925
Families
  • Gephyrosauridae
  • Pleurosauridae
  • Sphenodontidae

The Sphenodontia is a diverse group of reptile. It includes only one living genus, the tuatara (Sphenodon). An alternative name for the order is the Rhynchocephalia.

They are an offshoot from the evolutionary line leading to the true lizards and snakes. They had many families during the late Triassic and Jurassic periods but then declined, and are the least successful of the lepidosaurs.

The only surviving member today is the New Zealand tuatara.

Images for kids

  • Homeosaurus maximiliani, lizard, Jurassic, Solnhofen Limestone, Eichstatt, Bavaria, Germany - Houston Museum of Natural Science - DSC01988

    Homeosaurus maximiliani from the Late Jurassic of Germany

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Esfenodontos para niños

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Sphenodontia Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.