Homoeosaurus solnhofensis (H. maximiliani Meyer 1847) Late Jurassic ~150 mya, 15-30 cm in length, nests at the base of the Lepidosauria, a clade with extant members including Sphenodon, Iguana and Varanus. Derived from a sister to Paliguana and Saurosternon, Homoeosaurus phylogenetically preceded Gephyrosaurus, and Dalinghosaurus. All Homoeosaurus specimens appear to be late surviving members of this Late Permian/Early Triassic radiation.

Relatives in the homoeosaur clade include Renestosaurus (see below), Dalinghosaurus and a Permian lepidosaur, TA1045.

Distinct from Paliguana, the skull of Homoeosaurus was taller with a larger naris and smaller orbit. The jugal had a distinct quadratojugal process. The parietals were narower. As suborbital fenestra separated the palatine from the ectopterygoid. The mandible curved dorsally. A small coronoid process was elevated above the jawline.

Distinct from Saurosternon, the twin sternae were fused medially. The scapula was larger. The forearm elements were more robust. Metacarpals I-III were longer laterally with III and IV subequal.

The pelvis elements were longer and more gracile. The pes was smaller with metacarpals I-IV increasing laterally. Metatarsal V was hooked.

Homoeosaurus nests at the base of all remaining lepidosauromorphs, and lepidosauriformes.

These include the Rhynchocephalia a clade that once included rhynchosaurs, but Benton argued against their inclusion and that view has been universally held. Here Mesosuchus and rhynchosaurs along with the enigmatic Trilophosaurus nest as derived members of this clade.

Other clade members include the Dalinghosauria with Dalinghosaurus at its base. That includes the traditional Squamata (= lizards, Iguania + Scleroglossa) and now the new third lizard clade, the Tritosauria, which includes pterosaurs, tanystropheids and drepanosaurs.

The more complete reptile tree can be seen here.

Renestosaurus rossii formerly Langobardisaurus rossi, (Bizzarini, Muscio and Rossi 1995) is a small relative to Homoeosaurus distinquished by a metacarpal 3 longer than the others and a larger manus than pes. The more robust scapula and clavicle may indicate a burrowing niche. Click in situ image to enlarge it.

Benton MJ 1983. The Triassic reptile Hyperodapedon from Elgin, functional morphology and relationships. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, Series B, 302, 605-717.

Bizzarini F and Muscio G 1995. Un nuovo rettile (Reptilia, Prolacertiformes) del Norico di Preone (Udine, Italia Nordorientale). Nota Prelimininare. Gortania - Atti Mus. Friulli. Sti. Nat., 16 (1994): 67-76, Udine.

Bizzarini F, Muscio G and Rossi IA 1995. Un nuovo rettile fossile Langobardisaurus? rossii n. sp. Prolacertiformes (Reptilia) della val Preone (UD), Prealpi Carniche Italine. 1-35 Grafiche Tipo, Catelgomberto.

Dilkes DW 1998. The Early Triassic rhynchosaur Mesosuchus browni and the interrelationships of basal archosauromorph reptiles. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London: Biological Sciences, 353:501-541.

Evans SE and Wang Y 2005. The Early Cretaceous lizard Dalinghosaurus from China. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 50 (4): 725–742. online pdf

Ji SA 1998. A new long−tailed lizard from the Upper Jurassic of Liaoning, China. In: Department of Geology, Peking University (ed.), Collected Works of International Symposium on Geological Science, Peking University, Beijing, China, pp 496–505. Seismological Press, Beijing.

Meyer H 1847. Homoeosaurus maximiliani und Ramphorhynchus (Pterodactylus) longicaudus, zwei fossile reptilien aus dem Kalkschiefer von Solenhofen im Naturalienkabinet seiner baiserlich hoheit des Herzogs Maximilian von Leuchtenberg zu Eichstaedt. Frankfurt aus Main, Verlag, p. 3-11.

Renesto S and Dalla Vecchia F 2007. A revision of Langobardisaurus rossii Bizzarini and Muscio, 1995, from the Late Triassic of Friuli (Italy)*

wiki/Homoeosaurus