Diapsida

Reconstruction of Hypuronector limnaios by Dustdevil.

Belongs within: Reptilia.
Contains: Neodiapsida.

The Diapsida are the clade containing the majority of, if not all, living reptiles (depending on the position of the turtles). The name of the clade represents to its defining feature, the presence of two temporal fenestrae in the skull. The earliest diapsids include the Araeoscelidia, a group of superficially lizard-like reptiles known from the Late Carboniferous and Early Permian.

Synapomorphies (from Evans 1988): Upper temporal, suborbital and lower temporal fenestrae all present; cervical vertebrae longer than mid-dorsals.

Diapsida [Protorosauria]
    |  i. s.: Rhabdopelix Cope 1899 W91
    |         Daedalosaurus W91
    |         Colubrifer Carroll 1982 E88, D07
    |           `--C. campi D07
    |--Araeoscelidia E88
    |    |  i. s.: Zarcosaurus Brinkman et al. 1984 E88
    |    |         Kadaliosaurus E88
    |    |--Aphelosaurus E88
    |    `--+--Petrolacosaurus Lane 1945 S04, E88
    |       |    `--P. kansensis Lane 1945 RCQ03
    |       `--Araeoscelis Williston 1913 E88, D07 [Araeoscelidae]
    |            |--A. casei D07
    |            `--A. gracilis D07
    `--Eosuchia [Holaspida, Paliguanidae] S04
         |  i. s.: Kudnu E88
         |         Hupehsuchia D07
         |           |--Nanchangosaurus Wang 1959 D07
         |           |    `--N. suni D07
         |           `--Hupehsuchus Young 1972 D07
         |                `--H. nanchangensis D07
         |--+--Claudiosaurus [Claudiosauridae] E88
         |  |    `--C. germaini M06
         |  |--Heleosaurus scholtzi E88, W91
         |  |--Galesphyrus E88
         |  `--+--Blomosaurus E88
         |     `--Neodiapsida S04
         `--Avicephala S04
              |--+--Coelurosauravus Piveteau 1926 S04, E88 (see below for synonymy)
              |  |    `--C. jaekeli S04
              |  `--Longisquama Sharov 1971 S04, W91
              |       `--L. insignis S04
              `--Simiosauria S04
                   |--Hypuronector Colbert & Olsen 2001 S04, D07
                   |    `--H. limnaios S04
                   `--Drepanosauridae S04
                        |--Drepanosaurus Pinna 1979 S04, D07
                        |    `--D. unguicaudatus S04
                        `--+--Dolabrosaurus aquatilis S04
                           `--Megalancosaurus Calzavara, Muscio & Wild 1980 S04, E88
                                `--M. preonensis S04

Coelurosauravus Piveteau 1926 S04, E88 [incl. Gracilisaurus E88, Palaeochamaeleo Weigelt 1930 E88, Weigeltisaurus E88]

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[D07] Dixon, D. 2007. The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Creatures. Hermes House: London.

[E88] Evans, S. E. 1988. The early history and relationships of the Diapsida. In: Benton, M. J. (ed.) The Phylogeny and Classification of the Tetrapods vol. 1. Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds pp. 221–260. Clarendon Press: Oxford.

[M06] Modesto, S. P. 2006. The cranial skeleton of the Early Permian aquatic reptile Mesosaurus tenuidens: implications for relationships and palaeobiology. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 146: 345–368.

[RCQ03] Ruta, M., M. I. Coates & D. L. J. Quicke. 2003. Early tetrapod relationships revisited. Biological Reviews 78: 251–345.

[S04] Senter, P. 2004. Phylogeny of Drepanosauridae (Reptilia: Diapsida). Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 2: 257–268.

[W91] Wellnhofer, P. 1991. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Pterosaurs.  Salamander Books: London (reprinted 2000. In: Norman, D., & P. Wellnhofer.The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs. Salamander Books).

Last updated: 11 August 2017.