A new fossil anguimorph from the Green River Formation of Wyoming represents the first fossil relative of the living Chinese crocodile lizard, Shinisaurus crocodilurus. Its discovery significantly shortens the missing lineage interval and greatly expands the geographic range of the group, previously known only from southern China and northern Vietnam. Although separated by great temporal and physical (geographic) expanses, the new taxon and Shinisaurus show extraordinary morphological similarity. These include characteristics that might otherwise be considered autapomorphies for Shinisaurus, such as a prefrontal contribution to the naris and a subpalpebral fossa. Re-analysis of anguimorph interrelationships yields the hypothesis that Shinisaurus and its ancient cousin represent a basal radiation of Platynota.