Oenosaurus

Oenosaurus Temporal range: Tithonian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Holotype skull in multiple views
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Rhynchocephalia
Family:	†Sapheosauridae
Genus:	†Oenosaurus Rauhut et al., 2012
Type species
†Oenosaurus muehlheimensis Rauhut et al., 2012

Oenosaurus is an extinct genus of sphenodontian reptile from the Late Jurassic (Tithonian) aged Mörnsheim Formation of Germany.[1]

Close up of tooth plate

Description

The genus is known from a partial skull preserved in ventral view. The teeth in the upper and lower jaws were fused into tooth plates.[1]

Diet and lifestyle

It is likely that Oenosaurus led a durophagous lifestyle as indicated by the broad tooth plates.[1] It is unknown if this animal was aquatic or terrestrial.

Phylogeny

It is currently considered to be a sapheosaur.[2]

References

1. Rauhut, O. W. M.; Heyng, A. M.; López-Arbarello, A.; Hecker, A. (2012). Farke, Andrew A (ed.). "A New Rhynchocephalian from the Late Jurassic of Germany with a Dentition That is Unique amongst Tetrapods". PLOS ONE. 7 (10): e46839. Bibcode:2012PLoSO...746839R. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0046839. PMC 3485277. PMID 23118861.
2. Simões, Tiago R.; Caldwell, Michael W.; Pierce, Stephanie E. (2020-12-07). "Sphenodontian phylogeny and the impact of model choice in Bayesian morphological clock estimates of divergence times and evolutionary rates". BMC Biology. 18 (1): 191. doi:10.1186/s12915-020-00901-5. ISSN 1741-7007. PMC 7720557. PMID 33287835.