Clepsysaurus (from Greek: κλεψύδρα klepsúdra, 'water thief' and Greek: σαῦρος saûros, 'lizard') is a dubious genus of extinct archosaur described by Isaac Lea in 1851[1] from remains discovered in the Carnian[2] Passaic Formation of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania.[1] Two species are known: C. pennsylvanicus (the type species)[1] and C. veatleianus.[3] The holotype of C. pennsylvanicus, ANSP 9526, 9555-71, 9594-5, consists of teeth, ribs and vertebrae,[4] while the holotype of C. veatleianus, AMNH 2331, consists of a single tooth, with AMNH 2330, a tooth, as a referred specimen.[3] Other specimens of C. pennsylvanicus are known, including ANSP 15071 (a left anterior dentary with 23 teeth, a right dentary with 30 teeth and a portion of the right temporal region) and AMNH 2337 (a single tooth).[5]
| Clepsysaurus Temporal range: Late Triassic, | |
|---|---|
.png) | |
| Holotype tooth (AMNH 2331) of C. veatleianus seen from two different angles | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Clade: | Archosauromorpha |
| Clade: | Archosauriformes |
| Clade: | Archosauria |
| Genus: | †Clepsysaurus Lea, 1851 |
| Type species | |
| †Clepsysaurus pennsylvanicus Lea, 1851 | |
| Other species | |
| |
| Synonyms | |
Clepsysaurus was traditionally classed as a sauropodomorph,[3][4] but more recent studies indicate that it was either a dubious basal archosaur[6] or a member of the Phytosauria.[7] Clepsysaurus was eventually[when?] seen as a synonym of either the dubious archosaur Palaeosaurus or the sauropodomorph Anchisaurus, but Clepsysaurus was eventually resurrected as a valid, but dubious, genus.[4][7][8]
Gallery
AMNH 2330, a tooth referred to C. veatleianus
C. pennsylvanicus tooth AMNH 3227 seen from two different angles
