Parviraptoridae

Parviraptoridae is an extinct family of enigmatic total group squamate reptiles, known from the Middle Jurassic (Bathonian age) to Early Cretaceous (Berriasian age) of Europe and North America. Members of this clade are characterized by an unusual set conflicting anatomical traits comparable in some ways to snakes and varanids within the Toxicofera, while also bearing several characters unlike all modern squamate groups.^[1]

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  Renderings of several Parviraptor holotype skull bones
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  Speculative life restoration of Breugnathair

Parviraptorids Temporal range: Middle Jurassic–Early Cretaceous (Bathonian–Berriasian) PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Superorder:	Lepidosauria
Clade:	Pan-Squamata
Clade:	incertae sedis
Family:	†Parviraptoridae Benson et al., 2025
Type genus
†Parviraptor Evans, 1994
Genera
†Breugnathair †Diablophis †Eophis †Parviraptor †Portugalophis

Classification

Using different datasets and constraints, Benson and colleagues (2025) found three potential placements for Parviraptoridae within the Lepidosauria (clade containing tuatara, lizards, and snakes): either in a basal position in the squamate stem group (Pan-Squamata; P1), or within the derived clade Toxicofera, as an independent branch (P2) or part of the snake stem group (Ophidia; P3). These alternate placements are summarized in the simplified cladogram below:^[1]

Lepidosauria	Rhynchocephalia Pan-Squamata Parviraptoridae (P1) Squamata Gekkota ⇑ 'other squamates' ⇓ Toxicofera Iguania Parviraptoridae (P2) Anguimorpha Parviraptoridae (P3) Serpentes (crown group)