A new genus, Paraplacosauriops (Squamata, Anguidae, Glyptosaurinae), from the Eocene of France

Paraplacosauriops, gen. nov., is a 'melanosaurin' glyptosaurine lizard based on two isolated, nearly complete maxillae from the middle Eocene of France. Paraplacosauriops is known by one species, Paraplacosaurus quercyi (Filhol), a species previously included in the glyptosaurin genus Placosaurus. The taxon Paraplacosauriops quercyi is characterized by an unique heterodont dentition. consisting of large, crushing teeth in both the maxilla and neotype dentary. The dentary is further distinguished by a well-developed intramandibular septum fused to the ventral margin of the Meckelian canal. Paraplacosauriops is known with certainty from the middle Eocene (Lavergne. Phosphorites du Quercy). Fragmentary specimens from the early Eocene (Dormaal, Belgium) are provisionally referred to this taxon. The species Xestops abderhaldeni and X. weigelti are not referable to the genus Xestops and are formally synonymized with each other as Placosauriops weigelti.