A new lizard from the Lower Cretaceous of Shandong, China

A new squamate taxon is described from the Lower Cretaceous Doushan Formati on, Qingshan Group, Laiyang, Shandong Province, China. Two incomplete mandi bles represent a morphologically peculiar lizard taxon, which has heavily b uilt jaws and highly specialized crushing teeth in a greatly shortened toot h row. Results of phylogenetic analysis show that the new taxon is a member of the Scincomorpha, and can be grouped with the Lacertiformes on the basi s of character states related to jaw structures.