2015 in reptile paleontology

This list of fossil reptiles described in 2015 is a list of new taxa of fossil reptiles that were described during the year 2015, as well as other significant discoveries and events related to reptile paleontology that occurred in 2015.

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Ichthyosauromorphs

Research

• A study of phylogenetic relationships of ichthyopterygians is published by Ji et al. (2015); the authors introduced a new name, Grippioidea, for the clade containing the last common ancestor of Utatsusaurus hataii and Grippia longirostris, and all its descendants.^[1]
• An exceptionally large ichthyosaur radius, possibly belonging to a member of Shastasauridae (which, if confirmed, would indicate that members of the family survived until Early Jurassic) is described from the Hettangian Blue Lias Formation (south Wales, United Kingdom) by Martin et al. (2015).^[2]

New taxa

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Cartorhynchus[3]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Motani et al.	Early Triassic (Olenekian)	Nanlinghu Formation	China	A relative of ichthyopterygians. The type species is Cartorhynchus lenticarpus.
Dearcmhara[4]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Brusatte et al.	Jurassic (Toarcian–Bajocian)		United Kingdom	A basal member of Neoichthyosauria. The type species is Dearcmhara shawcrossi.
Eretmorhipis[5]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Chen et al.	Early Triassic (late Spathian)	Jialingjiang Formation	China	A hupehsuchian. The type species is Eretmorhipis carrolldongi.
Ichthyosaurus anningae[6]	Sp. nov	Valid	Lomax & Massare	Early Jurassic (Hettangian/Sinemurian–Pliensbachian)		United Kingdom	A species of Ichthyosaurus.
Muiscasaurus[7]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Maxwell et al.	Early Cretaceous (Barremian–Aptian)	Paja Formation	Colombia	A member of Ophthalmosauridae. The type species is Muiscasaurus catheti.

Sauropterygians

Research

• A study on the growth patterns and strategies of placodonts is published by Klein et al. (2015).^[8]
• A study on the sexual selection and dimorphism in Keichousaurus hui is published by Motani et al. (2015).^[9]
• A study on the teeth replacement patterns during the ontogeny in pliosaurids is published by Sassoon, Foffa & Marek (2015).^[10]

New taxa

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Anguanax[11]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Cau & Fanti	Late Jurassic (Oxfordian)	Rosso Ammonitico Veronese Formation	Italy	A pliosaurid. The type species is Anguanax zignoi.
Atychodracon[12]	Gen. et comb. nov	Valid	Smith	Early Jurassic		United Kingdom	A rhomaleosaurid plesiosaur; a new genus for "Plesiosaurus" megacephalus Stutchbury (1846).
Cardiocorax[13]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Araújo et al.	Late Cretaceous (early Maastrichtian)	Mocuio Formation	Angola	An elasmosaurid plesiosaur. The type species is Cardiocorax mukulu.
Dianmeisaurus[14]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Shang & Li	Middle Triassic (Anisian)	Guangling Formation	China	A member of Eosauropterygia of uncertain phylogenetic placement, more closely related to nothosaurs than to plesiosaurs. The type species is Dianmeisaurus gracilis.
Makhaira[15]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Fischer et al.	Early Cretaceous (Hauterivian)		Russia	A pliosaurid. The type species is Makhaira rossica.
Vegasaurus[16]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	O’Gorman et al.	Late Cretaceous (early Maastrichtian)	Snow Hill Island Formation	Antarctica (Vega Island)	An elasmosaurid plesiosaur. The type species is Vegasaurus molyi.
Wangosaurus[17]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Ma et al.	Middle Triassic (Ladinian)	Falang Formation	China	A pistosauroid. The type species is Wangosaurus brevirostris.

Lepidosaurs

Research

• A phylogenetic analysis of living and fossil squamate relationships, based on morphological and molecular data, is published by Reeder et al. (2015).^[18]
• Miocene anoles from the Dominican amber, showing the habitat specializations also present in the extant Caribbean anoles, are described by Sherratt et al. (2015).^[19]

New taxa

Rhynchocephalians

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Clevosaurus sectumsemper[20]	Sp. nov	Valid	Klein et al.	Late Triassic (Rhaetian)		United Kingdom	A clevosaurid sphenodontian, a species of Clevosaurus.

Lizards

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Archaerhineura[21]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Longrich et al.	Late Palaeocene	Polecat Bench Formation	United States	A rhineurid amphisbaenian. The type species is Archaerhineura mephitis.
Asagaolacerta[22]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Evans & Matsumoto	Early Cretaceous	Kuwajima Formation	Japan	A lizard of uncertain phylogenetic placement. The type species is Asagaolacerta tricuspidens.
Asprosaurus[23]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Park, Evans & Huh	Late Cretaceous		South Korea	A member of Anguimorpha, probably a member of Monstersauria. The type species is Asprosaurus bibongriensis.
Babibasiliscus[24]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Conrad	Eocene (approximately 48 Ma)	Bridger Formation	United States	A member of Corytophanidae. The type species is Babibasiliscus alxi.
Barbatteius[25]	Gen. et sp. nov.	Valid	Venczel & Codrea	Late Cretaceous (early Maastrichtian)	Haţeg Basin	Romania	Originally assigned to the family Teiidae, but subsequently transferred to the separate family Barbatteiidae within the group Teiioidea.[26] The type species is Barbatteius vremiri.
Cadurcogekko verus[27]	Sp. nov	Valid	Bolet et al.	Eocene		France	A gekkotan lizard, a species of Cadurcogekko.
Chromatogenys[28]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Makádi & Nydam	Late Cretaceous (Santonian)		Hungary	A member of Scincomorpha of uncertain phylogenetic placement. The type species is Chromatogenys tiliquoides.
Chthonophis[21]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Longrich et al.	Probably early Palaeocene	Bug Creek Anthills, Fort Union Formation	United States	An amphisbaenian, the only member of the new family Chthonophidae. The type species is Chthonophis subterraneus.
Cuvieribaena[29]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Čerňanský, Augéc & Rage	Eocene (Bartonian)		France	A blanid amphisbaenian. The type species is Cuvieribaena carlgansi.
Dryadissector[30]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Wick, Lehman & Brink	Late Cretaceous (early Campanian)	Aguja Formation	United States	A member of Varanoidea. The type species is Dryadissector shilleri.
Gekkomimus[27]	Gen. et comb. nov	Valid	Bolet et al.	Eocene		France	A skink; a new genus for "Cadurcogekko" rugosus Augé (2005).
Gueragama[31]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Simões et al.	Late Cretaceous (Turonian-Campanian)	Goio-Erê Formation	Brazil	The first member of Acrodonta (a relative of agamids and chameleons) described from South America. The type species is Gueragama sulamericana.
Hakuseps[22]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Evans & Matsumoto	Early Cretaceous		Japan	A squamate of uncertain phylogenetic placement. The type species is Hakuseps imberis.
Kuroyuriella[22]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Evans & Matsumoto	Early Cretaceous	Kuwajima Formation	Japan	A lizard of uncertain phylogenetic placement. The type species is Kuroyuriella mikikoi.
Norellius[32]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Conrad & Daza	Early Cretaceous (probably approximately 130 Mya)	Öösh Basin	Mongolia	A member of Gekkonomorpha of uncertain phylogenetic placement. The type species is Norellius nyctisaurops.
Ophisaurus holeci[33]	Sp. nov	Valid	Klembara	Miocene		Czech Republic  Germany[34][35]	A glass lizard.
Pachygenys adachii[36]	Sp. nov	Valid	Ikeda, Ota & Saegusa	Early Cretaceous	Sasayama Group	Japan	A squamate of uncertain phylogenetic placement, a species of Pachygenys.
Phosphorosaurus ponpetelegans[37]	Sp. nov	Valid	Konishi et al.	Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian)		Japan	A halisaurine mosasaur, a species of Phosphorosaurus.
Plioplatecarpus peckensis[38]	Sp. nov	Valid	Cuthbertson & Holmes	Late Cretaceous (Campanian)	Bearpaw Formation	United States	A mosasaur, a species of Plioplatecarpus.
Pseudopus rugosus[33]	Sp. nov	Valid	Klembara	Early Miocene		Czech Republic	A relative of the sheltopusik.
Tetrapodophis[39]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Martill, Tischlinger & Longrich	Early Cretaceous (Aptian)	Crato Formation	Brazil	A squamate reptile of uncertain phylogenetic placement; originally classified as an early, four-legged snake,[39] but subsequently argued to be a dolichosaurid.[40][41] The type species is Tetrapodophis amplectus.

Snakes

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Diablophis[42]	Gen. et comb. nov	Valid	Caldwell et al.	Late Jurassic	Morrison Formation	United States	A basal snake; a new genus for "Parviraptor" gilmorei Evans (1996).
Eophis[42]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Caldwell et al.	Middle Jurassic (Bathonian)	Forest Marble	United Kingdom	A basal snake. The type species is Eophis underwoodi.
Portugalophis[42]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Caldwell et al.	Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian)	Camadas de Guimarota	Portugal	A basal snake. The type species is Portugalophis lignites.
Renenutet[43]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Mccartney & Seiffert	Eocene (Priabonian)		Egypt	A member of Colubroidea. The type species is Renenutet enmerwer.

Turtles

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Adocus sengokuensis[44]	Sp. nov	Valid	Sonoda et al.	Early Cretaceous	Sengoku Formation	Japan	A species of Adocus.
Arvinachelys[45]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Lively	Late Cretaceous (Campanian)	Kaiparowits Formation	United States	A member of Baenidae. The type species is Arvinachelys goldeni.
Bairdemys thalassica[46]	Sp. nov	Valid	Ferreira et al.	Miocene	Capadare Formation	Venezuela	A podocnemidid belonging to the clade Stereogenyina, a species of Bairdemys.
Baltemys velogastros[47]	Sp. nov	Valid	Lichtig & Lucas	Eocene (early Bridgerian)	Huerfano Formation	United States	A member of Kinosternidae, a species of Baltemys.
Corsochelys bentleyi[48]	Sp. nov	Valid	Schwimmer et al.	Late Cretaceous		United States	A member of Dermochelyidae, a species of Corsochelys.
Desmatochelys padillai[49]	Sp. nov	Valid	Cadena & Parham	Early Cretaceous (late Barremian-early Aptian)	Paja Formation	Colombia	A member of Protostegidae, species of Desmatochelys.	Desmatochelys padillai
Gaffneylania[50]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Sterli, de la Fuente & Krause	Middle Eocene	Sarmiento Formation	Argentina	A member of Meiolaniidae. The type species is Gaffneylania auricularis.
Gobiapalone palaeocenica[51]	Sp. nov	Valid	Danilov et al.	Paleocene	Bugin Tsav Basin	Mongolia	A member of Trionychidae, a species of Gobiapalone. The genus Gobiapalone was considered to be a junior synonym of the genus Kuhnemys by Georgalis & Joyce (2017), though the authors maintained G. palaeocenica as a distinct species within the latter genus.[52]
Gomphochelys[53]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Bourque et al.	Early Wasatchian	Willwood Formation	United States	A member of Dermatemydidae. The type species is Gomphochelys nanus.
Judithemys russelli[54]	Sp. nov	Valid	Brinkman	Late Cretaceous		Canada	A member of (likely non-monophyletic) Macrobaenidae, a species of Judithemys.
Jurassichelon[55]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Pérez-García	Late Jurassic (early Tithonian)		France	A basal member of Eucryptodira. The type species is Jurassichelon oleronensis.
Khunnuchelys lophorhothon[56]	Sp. nov	Valid	Danilov et al.	Late Cretaceous (Santonian or early Campanian)	Bostobe Formation	Kazakhstan	A trionychine trionychid, a species of Khunnuchelys.
Kimurachelys[57]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Brinkman et al.	Late Cretaceous (late Campanian)	Dinosaur Park Formation	Canada	A chelonioid turtle. The type species is Kimurachelys slobodae.
Leyvachelys[58]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Cadena	Early Cretaceous (Barremian-Aptian)	Glen Rose Formation Paja Formation	Colombia  United States	A member of Pan-Cryptodira belonging to the family Sandownidae. The type species is Leyvachelys cipadi.
Mauremys oshiroi[59]	Sp. nov.	Valid	Takahashi et al.	Late Pleistocene	Tomori Amaga Cave	Japan	A pond turtle.
Neurankylus hutchisoni[60]	Sp. nov	Valid	Lively	Late Cretaceous (Campanian)	Kaiparowits Formation	United States	A member of Baenidae, a species of Neurankylus.
Neurankylus utahensis[60]	Sp. nov	Valid	Lively	Late Cretaceous (Campanian)	Kaiparowits Formation	United States	A member of Baenidae, a species of Neurankylus.
Perochelys[61]	Gen. et sp. nov.	Valid	Li, Joyce & Liu	Early Cretaceous (Aptian)	Jiufotang Formation	China	A soft-shelled turtle of uncertain phylogenetic placement; it might be a stem- or a crown-trionychid. The type species is Perochelys lamadongensis.
Phunoichelys[62]	Gen. et sp. nov.	Valid	Tong et al.	Late Jurassic	Phu Kradung Formation	Thailand	A xinjiangchelyid eucryptodiran. The type species is Phunoichelys thirakhupti.
Portlandemys gracilis[63]	Sp. nov.	Valid	Anquetin, Püntener & Billon-Bruyat	Late Jurassic (late Kimmeridgian)	Reuchenette Formation	Switzerland	A plesiochelyid eucryptodiran, a species of Portlandemys.
Sternotherus bonevalleyensis[64]	Sp. nov.	Valid	Bourque & Schubert	Late Hemphillian		United States	A musk turtle.
Sternotherus palaeodorus[64]	Sp. nov.	Valid	Bourque & Schubert	Late Hemphillian		United States	A musk turtle.
Taraschelon[65]	Gen. et comb. nov	Valid	Pérez-García	Early Oligocene		France	A tortoise; a new genus for "Testudo" gigas Bravard (1844).
Testudo brevitesta[66]	Sp. nov	Valid	Vlachos & Tsoukala	Late Pliocene (early Villafranchian)		Greece	A tortoise, a species of Testudo.
Thalassemys bruntrutana[67]	Sp. nov	Valid	Püntener, Anquetin & Billon-Bruyat	Late Jurassic (late Kimmeridgian)	Reuchenette Formation	Switzerland	A basal member of Pancryptodira, a species of Thalassemys.
Toremys[68]	Gen. et sp. nov.	Valid	Pérez-García et al.	Early Cretaceous (early Albian)		Spain	A pleurosternid paracryptodiran. The type species is Toremys cassiopeia.
"Trionyx" jixiensis[69]	Sp. nov.	Valid	Li et al.	Early Cretaceous	Chengzihe Formation	China	A member of Trionychinae of uncertain phylogenetic placement.
Xiaochelys[70]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Zhou & Rabi	Early Cretaceous (Barremian-early Aptian)	Yixian Formation	China	A member of Sinemydidae. The type species is Xiaochelys ningchengensis.

Archosauriformes

Archosaurs

Main article: 2014 in archosaur paleontology

Other

• A study on the archosauriform evolutionary history during the Late Permian and Early Triassic, including description of chirotheriid and chirotheriid-like tracks from the Late Permian of Northern Italy, is published by Bernardi et al. (2015).^[71]

Other reptiles

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Eohyosaurus[72]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Butler et al.	Middle Triassic (early Anisian)	Burgersdorp Formation	South Africa	A basal rhynchosaur. The type species is Eohyosaurus wolvaardti.
Erpetonyx[73]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Modesto et al.	Carboniferous (Gzhelian)	Egmont Bay Formation	Canada	A relative of bolosaurids. The type species is Erpetonyx arsenaultorum.
Glaurung[74]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Bulanov & Sennikov	Late Permian		Germany	A member of Weigeltisauridae. The type species is Glaurung schneideri.
Opisthodontosaurus[75]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Reisz et al.	Early Permian	Garber Formation	United States	A member of Captorhinidae. The type species is Opisthodontosaurus carrolli.
Pappochelys[76]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Schoch & Sues	Middle Triassic (Ladinian)	Erfurt Formation	Germany	A stem-turtle. The type species is Pappochelys rosinae.	Pappochelys
"Thalassodromeus" sebesensis[77]	Sp. nov	Valid	Grellet-Tinner & Codrea	Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian)		Romania	A reptile of uncertain phylogenetic placement; initially classified as a pterosaur and a species of Thalassodromeus,[77] but subsequently argued to be a turtle and a junior synonym of Kallokibotion bajazidi.[78]