2016 in reptile paleontology

Lizards Research • Twelve specimens of lizards (including stem-gekkotans, crown-agamids, a lacertid, a putative stem-chamaeleonid and squamates of uncertain phylogenetic placement, probably stem-squamates) are described from the Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian boundary) amber from Myanmar by Daza et al. (2016); however, the supposed stem-chamaeleonid is subsequently reinterpreted as an albanerpetontid amphibian by Matsumoto & Evans (2018). • A study of almost 30 specimens of Polyglyphanodon sternbergi, including almost complete skeletons, is published by Simões et al. (2016), who report the discovery of previously unrecognized ontogenetic series, sexual dimorphism and a complete lower temporal bar in the skull of members of this species. • New anatomical data on the Late Cretaceous lizard Slavoia darevskii is published by Tałanda (2016), who interprets it as a stem-amphisbaenian. • A study on the skull anatomy of the Eocene amphisbaenian Spathorhynchus fossorium is published by Müller, Hipsley & Maisano (2016). • A study on mosasaur tooth implantation and its phylogenetic implications is published by Liu et al. (2016). • A redescription of the mosasaur Hainosaurus bernardi Dollo (1885) is published by Jimenez-Huidobro & Caldwell (2016), who transfer this species to the genus Tylosaurus and synonymize genera Tylosaurus and Hainosaurus. • A revision of the species assigned to the mosasaur genus Tylosaurus is published by Jiménez-Huidobro, Simões & Caldwell (2016); their conclusion that T. kansasensis is a junior synonym of T. nepaeolicus is subsequently rejected by Stewart & Mallon (2018). • Early Miocene chamaeleonid fossils, including a specimen tentatively attributed to the species Chamaeleo cf. andrusovi Čerňanský (2010), previously known only from the early Miocene of the Czech Republic, are described from the Aliveri locality (Euboea, Greece) by Georgalis, Villa & Delfino (2016). • Lizard fossils which might be the oldest known chameleon fossils from India are described from the Miocene Nagri Formation by Sankhyan & Čerňanský (2016). New taxa Snakes Research • Lee et al. (2016) examine the limb anatomy of Tetrapodophis amplectus, which according to the authors is suggestive of aquatic habits. • A redescription of the Cenomanian snake Simoliophis rochebrunei on the basis of new fossil material from France is published by Rage, Vullo & Néraudeau (2016). • Smith & Scanferla (2016) describe a juvenile specimen of Palaeopython fischeri from the Eocene Messel pit with preserved stomach contents, including a specimen of the stem-basilisk species Geiseltaliellus maarius, which in turn preserves an unidentified insect in its stomach. • McNamara et al. (2016) describe pigment cells responsible for coloration and patterning preserved in a fossil skin of a colubrid snake from the Late Miocene Libros Lagerstätte (Teruel, Spain). • New fossil material of the viperid Laophis crotaloides is described from Greece by Georgalis et al. (2016). New taxa ==Ichthyosauromorphs==

Research • A study of taxonomic richness, disparity and evolutionary rates of ichthyosaurs throughout the Cretaceous period is published by Fischer et al. (2016). • A restudy of "Platypterygius" campylodon is published by Fischer (2016), who transfers this species to the genus Pervushovisaurus. • A revision of the ichthyosaur material of the British Middle and Late Jurassic referable to Ophthalmosaurus icenicus is published by Moon & Kirton (2016). New taxa ==Sauropterygians==

Research • A study of the histology and microanatomy of the humeri of members of the genus Nothosaurus is published by Klein et al. (2016). • A reassessment of fossils attributed to the genus Polyptychodon is published by Madzia (2016), who considers the type species of this genus, P. interruptus, to be nomen dubium, and the genus Polyptychodon to be a wastebasket taxon. • O'Gorman (2016) provides a new diagnosis for Fresnosaurus drescheri and describes additional plesiosaur material from the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Moreno Formation (California, USA), which he interprets as representing the first aristonectine plesiosaur reported from the Northern Hemisphere. • A redescription of the holotype specimen of Brancasaurus brancai and a study on the phylogenetic relationships of the species is published by Sachs, Hornung & Kear (2016), who consider the species Gronausaurus wegneri to be a junior synonym of B. brancai. New taxa ==Turtles==

Research • A study on the latitudinal gradients in species diversity of Mesozoic non-marine turtles is published by Nicholson et al. (2016). • A study on the morphological diversity of the skulls of the fossil and recent turtles through time is published by Foth & Joyce (2016). • A study of the bone shell histology of Condorchelys antiqua and its implications for the lifestyle of the species is published by Cerda, Sterli & Scheyer (2016). • A study of the bone histology of shell elements of the Late Cretaceous—Paleocene chelid Yaminuechelys is published by Jannello, Cerda & de la Fuente (2016). • A review of the fossil record, taxonomy and diagnostic features of the fossil species belonging to the genus Chelus is published by Ferreira et al. (2016). • Fossils of Plesiochelys etalloni and Tropidemys langii, otherwise known from the Kimmeridgian of the Swiss and French Jura Mountains, are described from the British Kimmeridge Clay by Anquetin & Chapman (2016). • An emended diagnosis of Testudo catalaunica and a study of phylogeny of extinct members of the genus Testudo is published by Luján et al. (2016). • Giant tortoise fossils collected from the late Miocene-early Pliocene Mehrten Formation (California, USA) are identified as belonging to members of the species Hesperotestudo orthopygia by Biewer et al. (2016). New taxa ==Archosauriformes==

Research • A skull of a juvenile specimen of Delorhynchus cifellii is described from the Richards Spur locality (Oklahoma, United States) by Haridy et al. (2016). • A revision of the systematics of the Chinese pareiasaurs is published by Benton (2016). • A study of evolution of body size of the carnivorous and herbivorous members of Captorhinidae is published by Brocklehurst (2016). • Surmik et al. (2016) describe nothosaurid and tanystropheid bones from the Triassic of Poland preserving blood-vessel-like structures enclosing organic molecules. • Two new specimens of Atopodentatus unicus are described by Chun et al. (2016), providing new information on the skull anatomy of this species and indicating that its rostrum, rather than being downturned as originally assumed, developed a hammerhead-like shape. • Description of new material of Hemilopas mentzeli from the Middle Triassic of Silesia (Poland) and a study of the phylogenetic relationships of the species is published by Surmik (2016). • Description of the anatomy of partially articulated forelimbs and isolated forelimb bones of Drepanosaurus recovered from the Late Triassic (Norian) Hayden Quarry (Chinle Formation) of New Mexico, USA is published by Pritchard et al. (2016). • A study on the femoral and tibial histology of the rhynchosaur Stenaulorhynchus stockleyi is published by Werning & Nesbitt (2016). • A study on the maximum body size and distribution of the reptile species known to have gone extinct during the last 50,000 years, as well as the role played by these factors in recent reptile extinction events, is published by Slavenko et al. (2016). New taxa == References ==