Ankylopoda

Ankylopoda is a clade that contains turtles and lepidosaurs (Tuatara, lizards and snakes) and their fossil relatives. This clade is supported based on microRNAs[1] as well as the fossil record.[2] Stem-turtles and lepidosaurs have unique skull elements and features not seen in archosaurs (represented by extant crocodilians and birds).

Ankylopoda
Proganochelys quenstedti
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Sauria
Clade: Ankylopoda
Lyson et al., 2012
Extant subclades

Classification

The cladogram below follows the most likely result found by another analysis of turtle relationships, this one using only fossil evidence, published by Rainer Schoch and Hans-Dieter Sues in 2015. This study found Eunotosaurus to be an actual early stem-turtle, though other versions of the analysis found weak support for it as a parareptile.[3]

Sauria
 

Archosauromorpha

 
 Ankylopoda/Lepidosauromorpha
 
 
 

†Kuehneosauridae

 
Lepidosauria
 

Squamata

 
 

Rhynchocephalia

 
 
 
 Pantestudines 
 

†Eosauropterygia

 
 
 

†Sinosaurosphargis

 
 

†Placodontia

 
 
 
 
 

†Eunotosaurus

 
 
 

†Pappochelys

 
 
 

†Odontochelys

 
 Testudinata 
 

†Proganochelys

 
 

Testudines

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

See also

  • Archelosauria, an alternative clade that places turtles as sister taxon to archosaurs.

References

  1. Lyson, T.R.; Sperling, E.A.; Heimberg, A.M.; Gauthier, J.A.; King, B.L.; Peterson, K.J. (2012). "MicroRNAs support a turtle + lizard clade". Biol. Lett. 8 (1): 104–107. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2011.0477. PMC 3259949. PMID 21775315.
  2. Schoch, R. R.; Sues, H.-D. (2015). "A Middle Triassic stem-turtle and the evolution of the turtle body plan". Nature. 523 (7562): 584–7. doi:10.1038/nature14472. PMID 26106865.
  3. Schoch, Rainer R.; Sues, Hans-Dieter (24 June 2015). "A Middle Triassic stem-turtle and the evolution of the turtle body plan" (PDF). Nature. 523 (7562): 584–587. doi:10.1038/nature14472. PMID 26106865.
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