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Fontisaurus Temporal range: Late Miocene (Vallesian), ~14.8–9.4 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
👁 Image
Photographs (A–D) and interpretive drawings (A'–D') of the holotype skull
Scientific classification 👁 Edit this classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Anguimorpha
Family:	Anguidae
Subfamily:	Anguinae
Genus:	† Villa et al., 2025
Species:	†F. tarumbaire
Binomial name
†Fontisaurus tarumbaire Villa et al., 2025

Fontisaurus (lit.'spring lizard') is an extinct genus of anguine lizard known from the Late Miocene (Vallesian age) Vallès-Penedès Basin of Spain and the Middle Miocene of Germany . The genus contains a single species, Fontisaurus tarumbaire, known from a skull with associated osteoderms.^[1]

Discovery and naming

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👁 Image

F. tarumbaire type locality (red star)

The Fontisaurus tarumbaire fossil material was discovered at the Sant Miquel de Toudell site, representing outcrops of the Vallès-Penedès Basin in Viladecavalls of Catalonia, Spain. The specimen—an articulated skull occluded with the mandible—is housed in the Museum of Natural Sciences of Barcelona, where it is permanently accessioned as specimen MGB V60. Prior to its acquisition by the museum, the skull was part of the personal collection of J.F. de Villalta, under whom a preliminary report was published by Crusafont Pairó and Villalta in 1952, identifying it as an indeterminate species of the extant legless glass lizard genus Ophisaurus (O. sp.).^[1]

In 2025, Andrea Villa and colleagues described Fontisaurus tarumbaire as a new genus and species of anguine lizard based on these fossil remains, establishing MGB V60 as the holotype specimen. The generic name, Fontisaurus, combines the Latin word fons, meaning 'spring', with the Ancient Greek σαῦρος (sauros), meaning 'lizard'. This name alludes to a local legend of the Spanish municipality from which the holotype is known, which claims that the town's water springs are guarded by small dragons, reminiscent of an extinct lizard. The specific name, tarumbaire, is a Catalan word used for those living in Viladecavalls.^[1]

In 2018, Klembara and Rummel described SNSB-BSPG 1997 XVI 466, an isolated parietal from the Middle Miocene Griesbeckerzell 1a locality of Germany. They tentatively assigned this specimen to the extinct Ophisaurus species Ophisaurus fejfari. They noted that this bone is substantially larger than the other parietals known from this species and differed in at least three characteristics (two of which may be tied to its larger size), but maintained this classification pending the discovery of better fossil material.^[2] In their 2025 description of Fontisaurus, Villa et al. referred this German fossil to their new genus, but considered it possible that it represents a species distinct from F. tarumbaire. Given the distinct sculptured texture and narrow muscular surface of SNSB-BSPG 1997 XVI 466 compared to the F. tarumbaire holotype, they regarded it as F. aff. tarumbaire.^[1]

References

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^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Villa, Andrea; Bolet, Arnau; Klembara, Jozef; Serrano-Martínez, Alejandro; Luján, Àngel H.; Fortuny, Josep; Delfino, Massimo; Schillinger, Burkhard; Alba, David M. (2025-11-11). "A new anguine lizard (Squamata, Anguidae, Anguinae) from the Late Miocene (Vallesian) of the Vallès-Penedès Basin (NE Iberian Peninsula)". Swiss Journal of Palaeontology. 144 (1) 70. Bibcode:2025SwJP..144...70V. doi:10.1186/s13358-025-00411-3. hdl:1983/eee53477-d202-4e89-a3e3-37809ae18d2e. ISSN 1664-2376.
^ Klembara, Jozef; Rummel, Michael (2016-09-13). "New material of Ophisaurus, Anguis and Pseudopus (Squamata, Anguidae, Anguinae) from the Miocene of the Czech Republic and Germany and systematic revision and palaeobiogeography of the Cenozoic Anguinae". Geological Magazine. 155 (1): 20–44. doi:10.1017/S0016756816000753. ISSN 0016-7568.

Extinct squamate genera

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Superorder: Lepidosauria

Iguania

Acrodonta

†Anqingosaurus †Barbaturex †Bharatagama †Gueragama? †Xianglong?
Agamidae	†Indiagama †Suratagama

Pleurodonta / Iguanoidea

†Anolbanolis †Kopidosaurus †Suzanniwana †Uquiasaurus †Xihaina
Corytophanidae	†Aciprion? †Babibasiliscus †Geiseltaliellus
†Gobiguania	Anchaurosaurus Ctenomastax Igua Isodontosaurus Polrussia Saichangurvel Temujinia Zapsosaurus
Iguanidae	†Afairiguana Polychrotidae †Armandisaurus †Lapitiguana †Pumilia
Phrynosomatidae	†Desertiguana

Other extinct iguanians

†Brasiliguana †Hoyalacerta? †Huehuecuetzpalli? †Pariguana †Pristiguana? †Swainiguanoides
†Arretosauridae	Arretosaurus Dornosaurus Ergiliinsaurus Khaichinguana
†Priscagamidae	Heterodontagama Mimeosaurus Phrynosomimus Pleurodontagama? Priscagama

👁 Armandisaurus explorator

†Polyglyphanodontia / Borioteiioidea

Chamopsiidae	Chamops Gerontoseps Glyptogenys Harmodontosaurus Haptosphenus Leptochamops Meniscognathus Pelsochamops Socognathus Stypodontosaurus Trippenaculus
Gilmoreteiidae / "macrocephalosaurines"	Gilmoreteius Kuwajimalla
"Polyglyphanodontines"	Bicuspidon Cherminsaurus Darchansaurus Distortodon Erdenetesaurus Polyglyphanodon Sineoamphisbaena?
Other polyglyphanodontians	Adamisaurus Caninosaurus Funiusaurus Gobinatus Obamadon Olindalacerta? Paleochelco? Peneteius Tchingisaurus Tianyusaurus Tijubina? Tripennaculus Xenodontolacerta Yechilacerta

Stem Scincogekkonomorpha

Scincogekkonomorpha

Scleroglossa

Gekkonomorpha

†Bauersaurus †Norellius
Gekkota	†Cadurcogekko †Cretaceogekko †Dollogekko †Geiseleptes †Gerandogekko †Gobekko †Hoburogekko †Laonogekko †Palaeogekko †Rhodanogekko †Yantarogekko

Stem Autarchoglossa
(Evansauria)

†Parmeosaurus †Tepexisaurus †Tijubina?
†Bainguidae?	Bainguis? Eoxanta Globaura Myrmecodaptria

†Oligodontosaurus †Todrasaurus
Amphisbaenidae	†Listromycter †Lophocranion
Bipedidae	†Anniealexandria
Blanidae	†Blanosaurus †Cuvieribaena †Louisamphisbaena
†Chthonophidae	Chthonophis
Rhineuridae	†Archaerhineura †Dyticonastis †Hadrorhineura †Hyporhina †Jepsibaena †Macrorhineura †Ototriton †Plesiorhineura †Protorhineura †Spathorhynchus
†Polyodontobaenidae	Polyodontobaena

†Contogeniidae

Lacertidae

Teiidae

†Brevisaurus?
†Meyasaurus?
†Ptilotodon

†Barbatteiidae

Barbatteius
Oardasaurus

Xantusiidae

Scincoidea

†Retinosaurus †Scincoideus †Slavoia
Scincidae	†Aocnodromeus †Axonoscincus †Ayalasaurus †Berruva †Electroscincus †Estescincosaurus †Gekkomimus †Lavergnesaurus †Orthoscincus †Orthrioscincus †Penemabuya †Proegernia †Pyrenasaurus?

Other scincomorphs

†Apsgnathus †Calanguban †Chromatogenys †Dakotaseps †Kleskunsaurus †Lonchisaurus †Monocnemodon †Pachygenys †Paleoteius? †Saurillodon †Saurillus †Sciroseps †Webbsaurus
†Paramacellodidae	Atokasaurus? Becklesius Mimobecklesisaurus Paramacellodus Parasaurillus? Pseudosaurillus? Sharovisaurus

Anguimorpha

Basal anguimorphs

†Mosasauria?

- see Mosasauridae
Includes Aigialosauridae, Dolichosauridae, and Mosasauridae

Neoanguimorpha

Carusioidea

†Carusia
Xenosauridae	†Entomophontes †Exostinus †Restes

Anguidae

†Odaxosaurus
Anguinae	† †Headonhillia †Helvetisaurus †Ophisauriscus †Ragesaurus
Diploglossinae	†Apodosauriscus †Eodiploglossus
Gerrhonotinae	†Paragerrhonotus †Parophisaurus
†Glyptosaurinae	Arpadosaurus Melanosaurus Gaultia Glyptosaurus Helodermoides Odaxosaurus Paraglyptosaurus Paraplacosauriops Peltosaurus Placosaurus Proglyptosaurus Proxestops Xestops

Paleoanguimorpha

Basal varanoids / platynotans

Shinisauria?

Goannasauria

Basal goannasaurians

Varanoidea

Lanthanotidae	†Cherminotus
Varanidae	†Ovoo †Saniwa †Archaeovaranus
Other platynotans / varanoids	†Arcanosaurus? †Cemeterius †Dryadissector