sphenodon

[ sfee-nuh-don, sfen-uh- ]

/ ˈsfi nəˌdɒn, ˈsfɛn ə- /

tuatara.

Origin of sphenodon

1875–80; < New Latin: genus name (orig. Sphaenodon), equivalent to Greek sphēn- sphen- + -odōn -toothed (see -odont)

Anyhow, Sphenodon is the reptile which stands nearest to the main stem of our ancestry.

The Last Link |Ernst Haeckel
This most exceptional of lizards is one found in New Zealand, and named Sphenodon.

The Contemporary Review, Volume 36, September 1879 |Various
The bone of the jaws in Sphenodon is so hard that when the teeth get worn away, it can act as a substitute.

The Vertebrate Skeleton |Sidney H. Reynolds
In the young Sphenodon the vomers bear teeth, as they do also in Proterosaurus.

The Vertebrate Skeleton |Sidney H. Reynolds

The humerus is generally without distinct condyles, but they are well developed in the Theromorpha, the Lacertilia and Sphenodon.

The Vertebrate Skeleton |Sidney H. Reynolds

sphenodon

/ (ˈsfiːnəˌdɒn) /

the technical name for the tuatara

C19: from Greek sphēn a wedge + odōn a tooth