Clepsysaurus Temporal range:
Late Triassic,
| |
---|---|
Holotype tooth (AMNH 2331) of C. veatleianus seen from two different angles | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Clade: | Archosauromorpha |
Clade: | Archosauriformes |
Clade: | Archosauria |
Genus: | †
Clepsysaurus Lea, 1851 |
Type species | |
†Clepsysaurus pennsylvanicus
Lea, 1851
| |
Other species | |
| |
Synonyms | |
Clepsysaurus (from Greek: κλεψύδρα klepsúdra, 'water thief' and Greek: σαῦρος saûros, 'lizard') is a dubious genus of extinct archosaur described by Isaac Lea in 1851 [1] from remains discovered in the Carnian [2] Passaic Formation of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. [1] Two species are known: C. pennsylvanicus (the type species) [1] and C. veatleianus. [3] The holotype of C. pennsylvanicus, ANSP 9526, 9555-71, 9594-5, consists of teeth, ribs and vertebrae, [4] while the holotype of C. veatleianus, AMNH 2331, consists of a single tooth, with AMNH 2330, a tooth, as a referred specimen. [3] Other specimens of C. pennsylvanicus are known, including ANSP 15071 (a left anterior dentary with 23 teeth, a right dentary with 30 teeth and a portion of the right temporal region) and AMNH 2337 (a single tooth). [5]
Clepsysaurus was traditionally classed as a sauropodomorph, [3] [4] but more recent studies indicate that it was either a dubious basal archosaur [6] or a member of the Phytosauria. [7] Clepsysaurus was eventually[ when?] seen as a synonym of either the dubious archosaur Palaeosaurus or the sauropodomorph Anchisaurus, but Clepsysaurus was eventually resurrected as a valid, but dubious, genus. [4] [7] [8]