Dolabrosaurus aquatilis, a small lepidosauromorph reptile from the Upper Triassic Chinle Formation of north-central New Mexico

Abstract

Dolabrosaurus aquatilis n. gen. and sp., a small amphibious or aquatic reptile from the Upper Triassic Chinle Formation of north-central New Mexico, is described on the basis of portions of the vertebral column and partial fore- and hindlimbs of a single specimen. Comparison with other Triassic reptiles indicates that D. aquatilis is most closely related to Drepanosaurus unguicaudatus, a small, enigmatic lepidosauromorph from the Upper Triassic Zorzino Formation of the Italian Alps. Both species are assigned to a new family, Drepanosauridae, with Dolabrosaurus recognized as more primitive in some aspects of its vertebral and pedal morphology. The precise assignment of Drepanosauridae within the Lepidosauromorpha remains uncertain.