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Carusioidea
Carusioidea is a clade of lizards that includes the family Xenosauridae (knob-scaled lizards) from Central America and the extinct genus '' Carusia'' from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia. It was named in 1998 after a sister-group relationship was found between ''Carusia'' and Xenosauridae. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that Carusioidea is the most basal clade within Anguimorpha. Features that help define Carusioidea include closely spaced orbits or eye sockets separated by fused frontal bones, a connection between the jugal and squamosal bones below the supratemporal arch, and a covering of bony osteoderms over the skull roof. Below is a cladogram A cladogram (from Greek ''clados'' "branch" and ''gramma'' "character") is a diagram used in cladistics to show relations among organisms. A cladogram is not, however, an evolutionary tree because it does not show how ancestors are related to d ... showing the phylogenetic relationships of carusioids from Gao and Norell (1998): ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carusioidea
Carusioidea is a clade of lizards that includes the family Xenosauridae (knob-scaled lizards) from Central America and the extinct genus '' Carusia'' from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia. It was named in 1998 after a sister-group relationship was found between ''Carusia'' and Xenosauridae. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that Carusioidea is the most basal clade within Anguimorpha. Features that help define Carusioidea include closely spaced orbits or eye sockets separated by fused frontal bones, a connection between the jugal and squamosal bones below the supratemporal arch, and a covering of bony osteoderms over the skull roof. Below is a cladogram A cladogram (from Greek ''clados'' "branch" and ''gramma'' "character") is a diagram used in cladistics to show relations among organisms. A cladogram is not, however, an evolutionary tree because it does not show how ancestors are related to d ... showing the phylogenetic relationships of carusioids from Gao and Norell (1998): ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carusia
''Carusia'' is an extinct genus of lizards from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia. It is a close relative of the family Xenosauridae, which includes living knob-scaled lizards. Fossils of the type and only species ''Carusia intermedia'' come from the late-Campanian age Barun Goyot Formation and have been found in the Flaming Cliffs, Ukhaa Tolgod, and Kheerman Tsav fossil localities. ''Carusia'' was first described in 1985 under the name ''Carolina intermedia'', but since the name ''Carolina'' was preoccupied by a genus of scarab beetles that had been named in 1880, it was renamed ''Carusia intermedia''. ''Carusia'' had initially been known from fragmentary skull material, complicating efforts to determine its evolutionary relationships with other lizards; it had variously been described as an indeterminate scincomorph, a xenosaurid, or some other type of autarchoglossan lizard convergent with xenosaurids. However, the discovery of 35 complete skulls in the 1990s, three of which ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Xenosauridae
Xenosauridae is a family of anguimorph lizards whose only living representative is the genus '' Xenosaurus'', which is native to Central America. Xenosauridae also includes the extinct genera '' Exostinus'' and '' Restes''. Also known as knob-scaled lizards, they have rounded, bumpy scales and osteoderms. Most living species prefer humid, rocky habitats, although they are widespread within their native regions, with some inhabiting semi-arid scrub environments. They are carnivorous or insectivorous, and give birth to live young. '' Shinisaurus'', the Chinese crocodile lizard, was once also regarded as a member of Xenosauridae, but most recent studies of the evolutionary relationships of anguimorphs consider ''Shinisaurus'' to be more closely related to monitor lizards and helodermatids than to ''Xenosaurus''. Xenosauridae is part of a larger clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, compose ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Late Cretaceous
The Late Cretaceous (100.5–66 Ma) is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous Period is divided in the geologic time scale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous Series. The Cretaceous is named after ''creta'', the Latin word for the white limestone known as chalk. The chalk of northern France and the white cliffs of south-eastern England date from the Cretaceous Period. Climate During the Late Cretaceous, the climate was warmer than present, although throughout the period a cooling trend is evident. The tropics became restricted to equatorial regions and northern latitudes experienced markedly more seasonal climatic conditions. Geography Due to plate tectonics, the Americas were gradually moving westward, causing the Atlantic Ocean to expand. The Western Interior Seaway divided North America into eastern and western halves; Appalachia and Laramidia. India maintained a northward course towards Asia. In the Southern Hemisphere, Australia and Ant ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Varanoid
Varanoidea is a superfamily of lizards, including the well-known family Varanidae (the monitors and goannas). Also included in the Varanoidea are the Lanthanotidae (earless monitor lizards), and the extinct Palaeovaranidae. Throughout their long evolutionary history, varanoids have exhibited great diversity, both in habitat and form. This superfamily includes the largest-known terrestrial lizard, Megalania (5–6 meters), and the largest extant lizard, the Komodo dragon (''Varanus komodoensis'', 3+ meters). Evolution Either synonymous with, or a subgroup of, the group Platynota, the varanoids first appear in the fossil record in the latter part of Early Cretaceous, but possible varanoid ancestors have been traced back as far as Early Jurassic times. Among the earliest known varanoids are the monitor-like necrosaurids '' Palaeosaniwa canadensis'' from the Campanian (roughly 71-82 mya) of North America and '' Estesia mongoliensis'' and '' Telmasaurus grangeri'', both from th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Varanoidea
Varanoidea is a superfamily of lizards, including the well-known family Varanidae (the monitors and goannas). Also included in the Varanoidea are the Lanthanotidae (earless monitor lizards), and the extinct Palaeovaranidae. Throughout their long evolutionary history, varanoids have exhibited great diversity, both in habitat and form. This superfamily includes the largest-known terrestrial lizard, Megalania (5–6 meters), and the largest extant lizard, the Komodo dragon (''Varanus komodoensis'', 3+ meters). Evolution Either synonymous with, or a subgroup of, the group Platynota, the varanoids first appear in the fossil record in the latter part of Early Cretaceous, but possible varanoid ancestors have been traced back as far as Early Jurassic times. Among the earliest known varanoids are the monitor-like necrosaurids '' Palaeosaniwa canadensis'' from the Campanian (roughly 71-82 mya) of North America and '' Estesia mongoliensis'' and '' Telmasaurus grangeri'', both from the Cam ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anguidae
Anguidae refers to a large and diverse family of lizards native to the Northern Hemisphere. Common characteristics of this group include a reduced supratemporal arch, striations on the medial faces of tooth crowns, osteoderms, and a lateral fold in the skin of most taxa. The group includes the slowworms, glass lizards, and alligator lizards, among others. The family is divided into two subfamilies (Anguinae and Gerrhonotinae), and contains about 87 species in 8 genera. Morphology and reproduction Anguids have hard osteoderms beneath their scales giving them an armored appearance. Many of the species have reduced or absent limbs, giving them a snake-like appearance, while others are fully limbed. Body type varies among species, with sizes ranging from 10 cm to 1.5 m. The group includes oviparous and viviparous species, both of which can be observed in a single genus at times. Feeding and habitat These lizards are known carnivorous or insectivorous foragers, feeding p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Xenosaurus
''Xenosaurus'' is a genus of lizards. ''Xenosaurus'' is the only extant genus in the family Xenosauridae with 13 species currently recognized."Xenosauridae" and "''Xenosaurus'' ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org. Also known as the Middle American knob-scaled lizards found in southwestern Tamaulipas and eastern Guerrero on the Atlantic and Pacific versants of Mexico, respectively, south and east to Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. They can be found between 300 m and 2360 m of elevation in a wide variety of habitats ranging from xerophytic tropical scrub to cloud forest to tropical rain forest. Where they occupy moderately diverse places, including crevices and holes in limestone, spaces under volcanic boulders, crevices in volcanic rocks, karst limestone, limestone terrain, and hollow logs in dry areas where trees are sparse. A flattened body shape and a crevice-dwelling ecology generally characterize species in the group. In part because of their habitat specialization, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shinisaurus
The Chinese crocodile lizard (''Shinisaurus crocodilurus'') is a semiaquatic anguimorph lizard found only in cool forests in southeast China and northeast Vietnam. The Chinese crocodile lizard spends much of its time in shallow water or in overhanging branches and vegetation, where it hunts its prey of insects, snails, tadpoles, and worms. Individuals in captivity may be fed baby mice.Chinese Crocodile Lizard (''Shinisaurus crocodilurus''). The Sacramento Zoological Society. A rare and little-studied lizard, it is listed in Appendix I, which regulates international trade of specimens. This is the only species in the |
Gekkota
Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous lizards that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except Antarctica. Belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, geckos are found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from . Geckos are unique among lizards for their vocalisations, which differ from species to species. Most geckos in the family Gekkonidae use chirping or clicking sounds in their social interactions. Tokay geckos (''Gekko gecko'') are known for their loud mating calls, and some other species are capable of making hissing noises when alarmed or threatened. They are the most species-rich group of lizards, with about 1,500 different species worldwide. All geckos, except species in the family Eublepharidae lack eyelids; instead, the outer surface of the eyeball has a transparent membrane, the cornea. They have a fixed lens within each iris that enlarges in darkness to let in more light. Since they cannot blink, species without eyelids generally lick t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scincomorpha
Scincomorpha is an infraorder and clade of lizards including skinks (Scincidae) and their close relatives. These include the living families Cordylidae (girdled lizards), Gerrhosauridae (plated lizards), and Xantusiidae (night lizards), as well as many extinct taxa. Other roughly equivalent terms include the suborder Scinciformata, or the superfamily Scincoidea, though different authors use these terms in a broader or more restricted usage relative to true skinks. They first appear in the fossil record about 170 million years ago, during the Jurassic period.Evans, S.E. and Jones, M.E.H. (2010). "The Origin, Early History and Diversification of Lepidosauromorph Reptiles," pp. 27-44 in Bandyopadhyay, S. (ed.), ''New Aspects of Mesozoic Biodiversity'', 27 Lecture Notes in Earth Sciences 132./ref> The phylogeny below follows that of Alifanov in 2016. Image:Polyglyphanadon sternbergi - IMG 0694.jpg, '' Polyglyphanodon, Polyglyphanodon sternbergi'' File:Bronze Grass Skink (Mabuya ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Iguania
Iguania is an infraorder of squamate reptiles that includes iguanas, chameleons, agamids, and New World lizards like anoles and phrynosomatids. Using morphological features as a guide to evolutionary relationships, the Iguania are believed to form the sister group to the remainder of the Squamata, which comprise nearly 11,000 named species, roughly 2000 of which are iguanians. However, molecular information has placed Iguania well within the Squamata as sister taxa to the Anguimorpha and closely related to snakes. The order has been under debate and revisions after being classified by Charles Lewis Camp in 1923 due to difficulties finding adequate synapomorphic morphological characteristics. Most Iguanias are arboreal but there are several terrestrial groups. They usually have primitive fleshy, non-prehensile tongues, although the tongue is highly modified in chameleons. The group has a fossil record that extends back to the Early Jurassic (the oldest known member is '' B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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