
Kuehneosauridae is an extinct family of small, lizard-like gliding diapsids known from the Triassic period of Europe and North America.
Kuehneosauridae is an extinct family of small, lizard-like gliding diapsids known from the Triassic period of Europe and North America.
== Description and systematics == left|thumb|Comparison of the skulls of Pamelina (A), Kuehneosaurus (B), and Icarosaurus (C) in dorsal (top) and lateral (bottom) view thumb|Size of three kuehneosaurids (Icarosaurus, Kuehneosuchus, and Kuehneosaurus) compared to other unrelated extinct gliding reptile groups and Draco volans, a living [[gliding lizard.|left]] They are distinguished from other diapsids by their 'wings' formed by elongated ribs. These allowed the animal to glide and parachute similar to living gliding lizards (Draco). They were most likely insectivorous, judging from their pin-like teeth. Initially considered squamates (the group which includes modern lizards and snakes), they have often, but not always, historically been placed in the group Lepidosauromorpha (the broader group which contains squamates and their relatives), though other studies have recovered them in other positions within Sauria, including Archosauromorpha (the group which includes crocodilians, birds and their relatives). A 2023 study reported that "Although their relationships are contentious, most recent analyses with robust sampling across Lepidosauromorpha, Archosauromorpha, Drepanosauromorpha and other Triassic reptile clades recover kuehneosaurids as archosauromorphs."
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