Biology:Acutodon
Acutodon (lit. sharp, pointed teeth) is an extinct genus of shinisaurian lizard that lived in France during the Late Cretaceous (lower Campanian age). The genus contains a single species, Acutodon villeveyracensis, known from a partial maxilla (upper tooth-bearing bone). Acutodon lived in freshwater subtropical environments.[1]
Description
It is characterized by its long, tapering teeth, which suggest a diet of small fish and amphibians. This is comparable to the modern Chinese crocodile lizard (Shinisaurus crocodilurus).[1]
Phylogeny
Acutodon is a Pan-Shinisauria, a clade of Anguimorph lizards that contains genera such as Merkurosaurus from the Czech Republic.[2] The closest living relative to Acutodon is the Chinese crocodile lizard. The evolutionary history of this clade is poorly known with few fossils being found. This genus fills in a gap in the fossil record of Pan-Shinisaurids.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Jansen, Olivier; Augé, Marc; Garcia, Geraldine; Otero, Olga; Valentin, Xavier (2026-05-20). "A new pan-shinisaur lizard (Anguimorpha) from the lower Campanian of Villeveyrac (Hérault, France)" (in en). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. doi:10.1080/02724634.2026.2636649. ISSN 0272-4634.
- ↑ Klembara, Jozef. (2008). A new anguimorph lizard from the Lower Miocene of North-West Bohemia, Czech Republic. Palaeontology. 51. 81 - 94. 10.1111/j.1475-4983.2007.00732.x.
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