Oculudentavis khaungraae, Xing et al.

Bolet, Arnau, Stanley, Edward L., Daza, Juan D., Arias, J. Salvador, Cernanský, Andrej, Vidal-García, Marta, Bauer, Aaron M., Bevitt, Joseph J., Peretti, Adolf & Evans, Susan E., 2021, Unusual morphology in the mid-Cretaceous lizard Oculudentavis, Current Biology 31, pp. 1-12 : 4

Oculudentavis khaungraae

Holotype Hupoge Amber Museum, HPG-15-3 , a complete skull preserved in amber ( Figures 2K–2T , 3B, 3D , and S 1 ). After its publication, we were given access to scan data of the holotype but do not have the authority to make it publicly available, although a rendering of this specimen can be accessed here: https:// tinyurl.com/Oculudentavis-A-10420.

Type locality

Cenomanian 98.8 ± 0.6 Ma, 14 Aung Bar mine, Tanai Township (Myitkyina District, Hukawng Valley , Kachin province), northern Myanmar.

Diagnosis

Jugal process of maxilla thatreaches caudally to at least the level of mid-orbit; 1 short squamosal process of the postorbital; large braincase with long, unexpanded basipterygoid processes on the basisphenoid; medial flange of pterygoid diverges posterolaterally along the entire length; interpterygoid vacuity heart shaped; premaxilla much longer than wide; recurved anterior marginal teeth (on premaxilla); and a well-developed flattened surface on the dorsolabial margin of the posterior portion of the dentary.

Figures

Figure 1. Oculudentavis naga (GRS-Ref- 286278) displaying the superb preservation of bone and soft tissue (A) Dorsal; (B) lateral; (C) ventral views. Scale bar represents 10 mm. Diptera associated with the lizard skeleton were identified as Phoridae, Platypezidae, Ceratopogonidae, or Brachycera (Empidoidea). See also Figures S1–S7 and Data S1.

Figure 2. Comparison of the two specimens of Oculudentavis, each bone digitally segmented Synchrotron HRCT of O.naga (A–J) and O. khaungraae (K–T).(A and K) Anterior view, (B and L) posterior view, (C, M, I, and S) dorsal view,(D, N, J, and T) ventral view, (E and O) left lateral view, (F, G, P, and Q) right lateral view, and (H and R) medial view are shown. See also Figures S1–S7 and Data S1.

Figure 3. Comparison of the two specimens of Oculudentavis, details of the lacrimal and dentary Right side view of the orbit showing the ring-like lacrimal bone (salmon color) in situ in (A) O. naga and (B) O. khaungraae (orbit view here is posterolateral to show the orbital elements more clearly). Dorsolingual view of the dentary in (C) O. naga and (D) O. khaungraae is shown. Scale bar represents 1 mm.