Lizards and snakes Research Triassic reptile Megachirella wachtleri is reinterpreted as the oldest known stem-squamate by Simões et al. (2018). Simões et al. (2018) perform X-ray scans at the micron scale of the holotype specimen of Megachirella wachtleri. Fossil trackways probably made by lizards running bipedally are described from the Lower Cretaceous (Aptian-early Albian) Hasandong Formation (South Korea) by Lee et al. (2018), who name a new ichnotaxon Sauripes hadongensis. New fossil material of Dicothodon bajaensis, providing new information on the tooth replacement pattern in this species, is described from the Campanian of Mexico by Chavarría-Arellano, Simões and Montellano-Ballesteros (2018). A study on the manus of a putative stem-gekkotan from the Cretaceous amber from Myanmar is published by Fontanarrosa, Daza and Abdala (2018), who report the presence of adaptations to climbing, including adhesive structures. A maxilla of a gekkotan of uncertain phylogenetic placement is described from the Late Oligocene Nsungwe Formation (Tanzania) by Müller et al. (2018), representing the second record of a Paleogene gekkotan from Africa and the first one from the central part of the continent. A gekkotan specimen from the collection of the Alexander Koenig Research Museum, originally interpreted as a member of the genus Sphaerodactylus preserved in Dominican amber, is reinterpreted as a specimen belonging to the species Ebenavia boettgeri and as preserved in copal from Madagascar by Daza et al. (2018). A study on differences in the anatomy of the skeletons of the turnip-tailed gecko (Thecadactylus rapicauda) and the tropical house gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia), and on the specific identification of gekkotan subfossil remains from the Pointe Gros Rempart 6 Hole (La Désirade island), is published by Bochaton, Daza and Lenoble (2018). A revision of the lizard fossils from the Upper Cretaceous of Mongolia and China which were originally assigned to the genus Bainguis is published by Dong et al. (2018), who transfer some of this fossil material to the stem-scincoid genus Parmeosaurus. New specimen of the Late Jurassic lizard Ardeosaurus brevipes is described from the Solnhofen area (Germany) by Tałanda (2018), who interprets this species as a probable member of the crown group of Scincoidea. Description of putative cordylid fossils from the Miocene of Germany, originally assigned to the taxon informally known as "Bavaricordylus", and a study on their taxonomic status is published by Villa et al. (2018), who reinterpret these fossils as more likely to represent the lacertid genus Janosikia. Fossils of a member of the genus Timon are described from the Pleistocene of Monte Tuttavista (Sardinia, Italy) by Tschopp et al. (2018), representing the first reported fossil occurrence of this genus from Sardinia. Description of fossils of amphisbaenians and anguimorph lizards from the late Miocene Solnechnodolsk locality (southern European Russia) is published online by Černanský, Syromyatnikova and Jablonski (2018). A dentary of an amphisbaenian belonging or related to the species Blanus strauchi is described from the middle Miocene locality of Gebeceler (Turkey) by Georgalis et al. (2018), representing the first fossil find of a member of the Blanus strauchi species complex and the sole confirmed fossil occurrence of the genus Blanus in the eastern Mediterranean region reported so far. Amphisbaenian vertebral material is described from the Pliocene of northern Greece by Georgalis, Villa and Delfino (2018), representing the youngest occurrence of amphisbaenians in continental Eastern Europe reported so far. Description of temujiniid frontals from the Aptian–Albian of the Khobur vertebrate locality (Mongolia) and a study on the placement of Temujiniidae in the phylogenetic tree of Iguanomorpha is published by Alifanov (2018). A study aiming to predict past (late Quaternary), current, and future habitat ranges for lizards belonging to the genus Pogona is published by Rej and Joyner (2018). A premaxilla of a member of the genus Elgaria is described from the Miocene Split Rock Formation (Wyoming, United States) by Scarpetta (2018), representing the oldest known fossil of a member of this genus reported so far. Two specimens assigned to the species Saniwa ensidens, preserving an accessory foramen in the skull indicative of the presence of fourth eye, are described from the Eocene Bridger Formation (Wyoming, United States) by Smith et al. (2018). Fossil vertebrae of varanid lizards are described from the early Miocene Loire Basin (France) by Augé and Guével (2018). Redescription of the morphology of the type material of Varanus marathonensis from the late Miocene of Pikermi (Greece) and description of new fossils of this species from Spain is published by Villa et al. (2018), who consider the species V. amnhophilis to be likely junior synonym of V. marathonensis. A basal mosasauroid specimen including a rib and a vertebra, representing a larger individual than the holotype of Phosphorosaurus ponpetelegans and predating P. ponpetelegans by approximately 10 million years, is reported from the Upper Cretaceous (lower Campanian) of Hokkaido (Japan) by Sato et al. (2018). Description of a Campanian mosasaur assemblage from the Hannover region of northern Germany is published by Hornung, Reich and Frerichs (2018), who confirm the presence of the genus Clidastes in northern central Europe, as well as the early Transatlantic distribution of a basal member of the genus Prognathodon during the lower Campanian. Description of two skulls of subadult specimens of Tylosaurus proriger from the Niobrara Formation (Kansas, United States), and a study on the allometric changes undergone by T. proriger through life, is published by Stewart and Mallon (2018), who reject the hypothesis presented by Jiménez-Huidobro, Simões and Caldwell (2016) that Tylosaurus kansasensis is a junior synonym of Tylosaurus nepaeolicus. The smallest-known, neonate-sized specimen of Tylosaurus is described from the Santonian portion of the Niobrara Chalk (Kansas, United States) by Konishi, Jiménez-Huidobro and Caldwell (2018). A study on the evolution of the skull shape in snakes and on its implications for inferring the ancestral ecology of snakes is published by Da Silva et al. (2018). New method of evaluating the age of fossil snake specimens at the time of death is proposed by Petermann and Gauthier (2018), who also test whether their method can be used to identify isolated fossil remains of the Eocene snake Boavus occidentalis from the Willwood Formation (Wyoming, United States) at the level of individual organisms. Digital endocasts of the inner ears of the madtsoiid snakes Yurlunggur and Wonambi are reconstructed by Palci et al. (2018), who also study the implications of the inner ear morphology of these taxa for inferring their ecology. A natural cast of the posterior brain, skull vessels and nerves, and the inner ear of Dinilysia patagonica is described by Triviño et al. (2018). A study on the phylogenetic relationships of the Miocene snake Pseudoepicrates stanolseni is published by Onary and Hsiou (2018), who transfer this species to the boid genus Chilabothrus. Description of snake fossils from the Pliocene/Pleistocene El Breal de Orocual locality and from the late Pleistocene Mene de Inciarte locality (Venezuela) is published by Onary, Rincón and Hsiou (2018). Inflammatory arthritis is documented for the first time in snakes, including the aquatic Cretaceous snake Lunaophis aquaticus, by Albino et al. (2018). Revision of lizard and snake fossils from the Pliocene site of Kanapoi (Kenya) is published online by Head and Müller (2018).
New taxa Name Novelty Status Authors Age Type locality Country Notes ImagesAmananulamGen. et sp. novValidMcCartney et al.PaleoceneA snake belonging to the family Nigerophiidae. The type species is A. sanogoi.AmaruGen. et sp. novValidAlbinoEarly EoceneLumbrera FormationA macrostomatan snake. Genus includes new species A. scagliai.Anguis rarusSp. novValidKlembara & RummelEarly MioceneA slow worm.BarlochersaurusGen. et sp. novValidDaza et al.Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberProbable member of Anguimorpha of uncertain phylogentic placement. The type species is B. winhtini.Bicuspidon hogreliSp. novValidVullo & RageLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Kem Kem BedsA polyglyphanodontid lizardBoa blanchardensisSp. novValidBochaton & BailonLate Pleistocene(Marie-Galante Island)A species of Boa.Callopistes rionegrensisSp. novValidQuadros, Chafrat & ZaherEarly MioceneChichinales FormationA teiid lizard, a species of Callopistes.Euleptes klembaraiSp. novValidČerňanský, Daza & BauerMiocene (Astaracian)A relative of the European leaf-toed gecko.PrimitivusGen. et sp. novValidPaparella et al.Late Cretaceous (late Campanian–early Maastrichtian)A member of the family Dolichosauridae. The type species is P. manduriensis.StenoplacosaurusGen. et comb. novValidSullivan & DongMiddle Eocene (Sharamurunian)Heti Formation Shara Murun FormationAn anguid lizard belonging to the subfamily Glyptosaurinae. The type species is "Helodermoides" mongoliensis Sullivan (1979).TsagansaurusGen. et sp. novValidAlifanovLate PaleoceneA platynotan lizard belonging to the family Parasaniwidae. The type species is T. nemegetensis.Tylosaurus saskatchewanensisSp. novValidJiménez-Huidobro et al.Late Cretaceous (late Campanian)Bearpaw Formation()A mosasaurXiaophisGen. et sp. novXing et al.Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA snake described on the basis of a fossilized embryo or neonate. The type species is X. myanmarensis.
Ichthyosauromorphs A study aiming to identify sexual dimorphism, taxonomic variation and individual variation among the specimens of Chaohusaurus chaoxianensis is published by Motani et al. (2018). A survey of the form and distribution of pathological structures in the skeletons of ichthyosaurs is published by Pardo-Pérez et al. (2018). A study on the microanatomy of vertebral centra of ichthyosaurs, aiming to establish whether there is any variation between the primitive and the most derived forms, is published by Houssaye, Nakajima & Sander (2018). Humeri of Pessopteryx nisseri and vertebrae referred to the genus Cymbospondylus are described from the Lower Triassic Vikinghøgda Formation (Spitsbergen, Norway) by Engelschiøn et al. (2018). A large, isolated jaw fragment of a giant ichthyosaur is described from the Upper Triassic (Rhaetian) Westbury Mudstone Formation (United Kingdom) by Lomax et al. (2018), who also reinterpret some putative dinosaur limb bone shafts from the Upper Triassic of Aust Cliff as more likely to be ichthyosaur fossils. Ichthyosaur fossils, including an incomplete skeleton of a member of the genus Leptonectes, are described from the Lower Jurassic (Pliensbachian) of Asturias (Spain) by Fernández, Piñuela & García-Ramos (2018). Remains of ichthyosaur embryos, still situated within a fragment of the rib-cage of the parent animal, are described from the Lower Jurassic (Toarcian) Whitby Mudstone Formation (United Kingdom) by Boyd & Lomax (2018). Ichthyosaur remains from the Lower Cretaceous Agrio Formation (Neuquén Basin, Argentina) are described by Lazo et al. (2018). New specimen of Phalarodon fraasi is described from the Middle Triassic Botneheia Formation (Svalbard, Norway) by Økland et al. (2018). Redescription of the relocated holotype of Suevoleviathan integer is published by Maxwell (2018), who considers the species Suevoleviathan disinteger to be a junior synonym of S. integer. A study on specimens of Temnodontosaurus from the Early Jurassic of southern Germany, aiming to document the types of pathologies observed in the skeletons of specimens assigned to this genus, is published by Pardo-Pérez et al. (2018).