much smaller lacrimal, and from Marmoretta in that the latter has a specialised maxillary/premaxillary overlap. Sophineta resembles lepidosaurs in having weak zygosphenes, short vertebrae and single−headed ribs throughout the column, but differs in having a shallower pleurodont tooth implantation and the apparent absence of both a thyroid fenestra and functional caudal autotomy. Sophineta had an unspecialised vertebral column but fairly derived skull structure, including the tall facial process of the maxilla, reduced lacrimal and pleurodonty. These traits also resemble those of early lepidosaurs more than stem−lepidosaurs. The skull of Sophineta reconstructed as a "modified diapsid skull" with a relatively short preorbital region. The orbits, narial openings and upper temporal fenestrae are large, and the lower temporal fenestrae are open ventrally. Based on the dimensions of the ZPAL RV/175 and skull proportions in Marmoretta, its total skull length is estimated to be about , with a body length (excluding the tail) of about . Classification Susan E. Evans and Magdalena Borsuk−Białynicka (2009) performed a phylogenetic analysis that recovered Sophineta as the sister group of Lepidosauria. The inclusion of Sophineta displaced the relictual Middle Jurassic Marmoretta and gave the origin of Lepidosauria a much older age. The cladogram below follows their results. References Early Triassic reptiles of Europe Triassic lepidosauromorphs Fossil taxa described in 2009 Taxa named by Susan E. Evans Prehistoric reptile genera