Sphenoptera

## Taxonomy

Anthostoma

Gastrozoa

Tentaclostoma

Neostoma

Lophostoma

Diplostoma

Stenostraca

Coleostraca

Elastospondyli

Opisthoptera

Neopisthoptera

**Sphenoptera**

**Sphenoptera** (lit. "wedge wings") are a clade of Opisthoptera.

## Description

Sphenopterans are raptor-like predators, predominantly found on the steppe where they feed on small prey. Their pointed wings allow them to obtain high speeds, while their narrow canards facilitate takeoff, landing, and diving for prey.

Sphenopterans are slightly larger than early Ophistopterans, albeit only by a slight margin.

## Gallery

An archeplatydontia and a **sphenoptera**.Size of some opisthopterans compared to a human.

## Navigation

* **Anthostoma**
	+ Archeanthostoma
	+ Gastrozoa
		- Eugastrozoa
		- Tentaclostoma
			* Lithostraca
				+ Eulithostraca
				+ Anostraca
			* Neostoma
				+ Myzostoma
					- *Pelonomus thomi*
				+ Lophostoma
					- Diplostoma
						* Placostraca
							+ Archaeoplacostraca†
							+ Euplacostraca
								- Euplacostracidae
									* Euplacostracine
									* Echinostracinae†
								- Xerostraca
						* Stenostraca
							+ Eustenostraca
								- Desmostraca
									* Archaeodesmostraca†
										+ Archedesmostracidae†
										+ Notoformes†
											- Archenotoformes†
											- Neonotoformes†
												* Thyreostraca†
												* Campylospondyli†
													+ *Erythrerpeton lequiori*†
									* Eudesmostraca
										+ Eudesmostracidae
											- Eudesmostracinae
											- Myxobolidae
										+ Dolichostraca
											- Pronocanthidae†
												* Eupronocanthidae†
												* Phylactocanthidae†
											- Eudolichostraca
												* Eudolichostracidae
												* Nothocanthidae†
							+ Coleostraca
								- Archaeocoleostraca†
								- Elastospondyli
									* Archelastospondyli
										+ Archelastospondylidae
										+ Kentrodontia
											- Eukentrodontia
												* Archekentrodontia
													+ Archekentrodontidae
													+ Neokentrodontia
														- Trypophora
														- Deinoglossidae
												* Phyllophora†
											- Aspidontia†
												* *Kremarapax mckinleyi*†
									* Opisthoptera
										+ *Eopteryx emmetti*
										+ Archeopisthoptera
											- Latoptera
												* Eulatoptera
												* Pipiodontia
													+ *Corvimimus corvusamousi*
													+ Archepipiodontia
													+ Pterolophidae
											- Picoptera
												* *Gyriphagus oelespi*
										+ Neopisthoptera†
											- **Sphenoptera**†
												* *Velocialatus alexani*†
											- Magnoptera†
												* Eumagnoptera†
													+ *Skotalatus rauli*†
												* Dyptopterida†
													+ *Tachynectes jocomoli*†
					- Malacoformes
						* Echinostoma
						* Eumalacoformes
							+ *unspecified*
								- Ctenognatha
									* Euctenognatha
									* Necroformes
								- *unspecified*
									* Barognatha
									* Aciculognatha
										+ Euaciculognatha
										+ Chlorodermata
							+ *unspecified*
								- *unspecified*
									* Onychognatha
									* Mastigognatha
								- Isognatha
									* Myzognatha
										+ *Vitapatatoria aspiana*
									* Euisognatha
										+ Archeisognatha
										+ Cyanodermata

* **Polypodia**
	+ Tetrabrachia
		- Tachypodia
		- Acanthopodia
			* Orthorhachia
				+ Tanypterida
				+ Remipterida
					- Arheremipterida
					- Synopteridae
			* Hadrorhachia
				+ Ptilopoda†
					- *Bathytitan vendari*
				+ Euhadrorhachia
					- Diplocirridae
						* Archediplocirridae
						* Astrapophora
					- Teleopterida
						* Dorypoda
							+ *Kamakivenator cosmici*
							+ Archedorypoda
							+ Xiphopoda
						* Temnopoda†
							+ *Teratodectes iasoni*
	+ Sarcopodia
		- Coelopoda
			* Eucoelopoda
			* Trichopoda
				+ *Prionorostrum aegisari*
		- Neopoda
			* Metaxypoda†
				+ *Argyroderma piacentini*
			* Osteopoda
				+ Polyschia
					- Platydontia
						* Archeplatydontia
							+ Archeplatydontidae
								- *unspecified*
									* Archeplatydontinae
										+ *Dendronomus vasquezi*
									* Xenodontia†
										+ Brachiocephalia†
										+ Euxenodontia†
											- Streptotarsi†
											- Archexenodontia†
								- Neoplatydontia
									* Pleuroptera
										+ Archepleuroptera
											- Archepleuropteridae†
												* *Anthonomos qbelocki*†
											- Platyptera
												* *Sphenorhynchus sullivanae*
												* Euplatyptera
												* Dermatopoda
													+ Archedermatopoda
													+ Neodermatopoda
														- Rhabdopoda
															* Colobathristes borchmori
														- Compsopoda
										+ Theroptera†
											- Eutheroptera†
												* *Melanopteryx alexanderi*†
											- Chlamyptera†
												* Hypsirhynchidae†
												* Archechlamyptera†
													+ Temnorhynchidae†
														- *Charcharonyx mackrethi*†
													+ Archechlamypteridae†
									* Neoplatydontidae
										+ Scandopoda
											- *Carpophagus xeni*
											- Archescandopoda
											- Neoscandopoda
												* Pholcoscelida
												* Brachyscelida
										+ Harpactopoda†
											- Euharpactopoda†
											- Tanybrachidae†
												* *Cephalocarcinus elvari*†
							+ Copetarsi†
								- *Potamodyptes andrewi*†
						* Edaphotheria
							+ Leptopoda
								- Archeleptopoda
									* Euleptopoda†
										+ Euleptopodidae†
										+ Neoleptopoda†
											- Hoplopoda†
											- Camptopoda†
												* Eucamptopoda†
												* Sphenocerata†
									* Amblypoda
								- Thylacopoda†
									* Archethylacopoda†
										+ *Pycnothrix dicksoni*†
									* Allobrachidae†
										+ Euallobrachidae†
											- Corythobrachidae†
												* Archecorythobrachidae†
												* Camarabrachidae†
													+ *Cyanolophus mcgyveri*†
											- Archeallobrachidae†
												* Archeallobrachinae†
													+ *Melanothrix oneiropolos*†
												* Ceratobrachidae†
													+ *Thyreocephalus cryarchon*†
										+ Teleobrachidae†
											- *Therizinyx elliotti†*
							+ Eurycheridae
								- Archeurycheridae†
									* Archeurycheirinae†
										+ *Prolestes solysti*†
									* *Teratocheirus*†
										+ *Teratocheuirus philipi*†
								- Lystrocheiridae
									* Lystrocheirinae
										+ *Psammonyx deschaini*
									* Trypanocheiridae
										+ Archetrypanocheiridae†
										+ Rhamphodontia
											- Eurhamphodontia
												* Archeramphodontia
													+ Apodomorpha
													+ Archeramphodontidae
														- Archeramphodontinae
														- Coryphodontia
															* Archecoryphodontia
															* Septentrioformes
																+ Phractoformes
																+ Cryptonychidae
																	- Archecryptonychidae
																	- Neocryptonychidae
																		* Theristobrachidae
																		* Glyphonychidae
																			+ Archeglyphonychidae
																			+ Archonychidae
												* Acrocheiridae
													+ Euacrocheiridae
														- Archeacrocheiridae
														- Neoacrocheiridae
															* Heterognatha
																+ Distropheognatha
																	- Archedistropheognatha
																	- Neodistropheognatha
																		* Hadronychidae
																		* Daptodontia
																			+ Dryptognatha
																			+ Flagellifera
																+ Procaecoformes
																	- Oligopoda
																	- Euprocaecoformes
																		* Euprocaecoformidae
																		* Megantroformes
															* Panhylotheria
																+ Hylotheria
																	- Thaumatotheriidae
																	- Euhylotheria
																		* Gyrinotheria
																		* Euhylotheriidae
																			+ Euhylotheriinae
																			+ Pelecodontidae
																+ Thrinaxorhynchidae
																	- Archethrinaxorhynchidae
																	- Dictyorhynchidae
													+ Apatocheiridae†
											- Oryctocheiridae
					- Dromaeopoda
						* Archedromaepoda†
							+ *Rhomaleopus*†
							+ Archedromaeopodidae†
								- *Dromovenator setnovi*†
						* Onychodontia
							+ Euonychodontia†
								- Euonychodontidae†
									* Ensidontia†
										+ Euensidontia†
										+ Prionodontia†
									* Euonychodontinae†
										+ Archeonychodontidae†
										+ Cryptodontia†
											- *Raptonyx junae*†
											- Tachydontia†
											- Eucryptodontia†
								- Hadrodontia†
							+ Allodontia
								- Euallodontia†
									* Archallodontia†
									* Eriotherinae†
								- Thecopoda
									* Euthecopoda†
										+ *Leucothrix caliburi*†
									* Amphidontia
										+ Archeamphidontia†
										+ Xenopsidae
											- *polylophodon thomasi*
											- Archexenopsidae
												* Archexenopsinae
												* Euxenopsidae
													+ Ankistrobrachidae
													+ Neoxenopsidae
														- Teleopsidae
														- Chelaphora
															* Stenochelaphora
															* Pachychelaphora
											- Stenopsidae
												* File:StenopsidaeEvo.pngArchestenopsidae
												* Neostenopsidae
													+ Peloropsidae
														- Archepeloropsidae
														- Anaxotheriidae
													+ Ceratodontia
														- Archeceratodontia
														- Neoceratodontia
															* Aratrodontia
															* Isodontia
																+ Kophodontidae
																+ Elaphrodontia
																	- Archelaphrodontia
																	- Neoelaphrodontia
																		* Spathodontia
																		* Xyrodontia
				+ Synischia
					- Megalobrachidae†
						* Archemegalobrachia†
							+ Archemegalobrachidae†
							+ Prenobrachidae†
						* Titanopoda†
							+ Procerapoda†
								- Euprocerapoda†
									* *Megaphagus matti*†
								- Stylopoda†
									* *Hybotitan bluenoti*†
							+ Baropoda†
								- Eubaropoda†
									* *Nanopus proximensis*†
									* Eubaropodidae†
								- Pachypoda†
					- Deinognatha
						* Eudeinognatha†
							+ Eudeinognathidae†
								- *Euoplos gulielmi*†
							+ Malleognatha†
						* Odontognatha
							+ Trachygnatha†
								- *Telmarchos krisi*†
							+ Dolichognatha
								- Eudolichognatha
									* Archedolichognatha†
									* Hybognatha
								- Pelagotheria†
									* Actatheria†
										+ *Eurypus geberi*†
									* Thalattotheria†
										+ Isopterygia†
										+ Anisopterygia†
											- *Pontodrakon nicholsi*†

* **Chemophyta**
	+ Archaeophyta
	+ Xenophyta
		- Caulophyta
			* Neocaulophyta
				+ Eucaulophyta
					- Eucaulophytaceae
						* Eucaulophytoideae
						* Nothodendrales†
					- Reptophyta
				+ Brachyphyta
					- Archebrachyphyta
						* Eubrachyphyta
							+ Eubrachyphytaceae
							+ Desmophyta
								- Carnophyta†
								- Chromatophyta
									* Archechromatophyta
										+ Archechromatophytacea
										+ Aphyllophyta
									* Zygophyta
										+ Zygophytacea
											- Zygodendrales
											- Archezygophytacea
										+ Harpactophyta†
						* Tylophyta
					- Cryptophyta
						* Eucryptophyta
						* Pagophyta
			* Necrophyta
		- Xylophyta
			* Euxylophyta
				+ Archexylophyta
					- Archexylophytacaea
					- Coelophyta
				+ Nodophyta
			* Altiphyta†
				+ *Trilobophyllus axidenti*†

 † = Extinct