Opisthiamimus
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| Opisthiamimus Temporal range:
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|---|---|
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| Restored skull in lateral view | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Rhynchocephalia |
| Infraorder: | Eusphenodontia |
| Genus: | †Opisthiamimus DeMar, Jones & Carrano, 2022 |
| Type species | |
| †Opisthiamimus gregori DeMar, Jones & Carrano, 2022[1]
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Opisthiamimus (lit. 'Opisthias mimic') is an extinct genus of small-bodied eusphenodontian rhynchocephalian from the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation of Northern Wyoming, United States. The type species, O. gregori, is known from four specimens, which together preserve a nearly complete skeleton. It is amongst the smallest known sphendontians, with a skull length of 2.05 centimetres (0.81 in) and a snout–vent length (the length from the tip of the snout to the cloaca) of around 8.5 centimetres (3.3 in). The genus was described in 2022 by DeMar, Jones & Carrano. It was found that it was only distantly related to other known sphenodontians from the Morrison Formation, like Eilienodon, Theretairus and Opisthias.[1]
References
- ^ a b DeMar, D. G.; Jones, M. E. H.; Carrano, M. T. (2022). "A nearly complete skeleton of a new eusphenodontian from the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation, Wyoming, USA, provides insight into the evolution and diversity of Rhynchocephalia (Reptilia: Lepidosauria)". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 20 (1): 1–65. doi:10.1080/14772019.2022.2093139. PMID 2093139.