Schoenesmahl

Schoenesmahl is an extinct genus of lizard from the Late Jurassic Solnhofen Formation of Germany. It contains only a single species, S. dyspepsia.[1]

Schoenesmahl Temporal range: Late Jurassic,
Illustration by Franz Nopcsa
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	†Ardeosauridae
Genus:	†Schoenesmahl Conrad, 2018
Species:	†S. dyspepsia
Binomial name
†Schoenesmahl dyspepsia Conrad, 2018

It is known only from a single disarticulated specimen preserved in the stomach of the holotype specimen of the small theropod dinosaur Compsognathus. This specimen was long classified in the genus Bavarisaurus, but a 2018 study found it to be a distinct taxon most closely related to Ardeosaurus and reclassified it as its own genus. The status of the specimen as prey for Compsognathus is reflected in the genus and species name, with Schoenesmahl deriving from schöne Mahl (German for "beautiful meal"), while dyspepia (Greek for "difficult digestion") refers to its undigested nature.[1][2]

The well-preserved nature of the specimen suggests that it was eaten by the Compsognathus shortly before the latter's own death and preservation. The disarticulated nature of the specimen suggests that as with some modern predatory birds, Compsognathus may have restrained and dismembered Schoenesmahl during consumption, possibly using its hands and teeth.[1]