Snake-Lizard Lialis Sp. in Suburban Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Snake-Lizard Lialis Sp. in Suburban Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea SEAVR 2016: 46 ISSN : 2424-8525 Date of publication: 04 March 2016. Hosted online by ecologyasia.com Snake-Lizard Lialis sp. in suburban Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea Oke MILLETT oke.millett @ gmail.com Observer: Oke Millett. Photograph by: Oke Millett. Subject identified by: Nick Baker. Location: Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. Habitat: Suburban, landed property, close to urban centre. Date and time: 26 February 2016, 17:30 hrs. Identity of subjects: Snake-lizard, Lialis sp. (Reptilia: Squamata: Pygopodidae). Description of observations: An elongate reptile, with an estimated total length of 13 cm, was observed late afternoon inside a landed property. It was assumed to be a snake, and was only later identified as a Snake-lizard. It was carefully removed and placed in the garden : whilst being moved it was found to be extremely docile in temperament. Fig. 1. © Oke Millett Remarks : There are just two species of Snake-lizard in the genus Lialis, one of seven genera in the family Pygopodidae. These are near legless lizards : the forelimbs are completely absent, and the hindlimbs are reduced to small, rudimentary structures either side of the vent. Both Lialis species occur in Papua New Guinea : Burton's Snake-lizard Lialis burtonis (which also occurs in Australia) appears to be confined to the south of the country, whilst the endemic Jicari Snake-lizard Lialis jicari is more widespread. To distinguish between the two species, which can vary in external appearance, requires a scale count, particularly of the supralabials. Both species may potentially occur in Port Moresby (O'Shea, 1996). References: O'Shea, M. (1996). A Guide to the Snakes of Papua New Guinea. Independent Publishing Group Pty Ltd. 239 pp. 46 .
Recommended publications
  • Ecology and Behaviour of Burton's Legless Lizard (Lialis Burtonis, Pygopodidae) in Tropical Australia
    Asian Herpetological Research 2013, 4(1): 9–21 DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1245.2013.00009 Ecology and Behaviour of Burton’s Legless Lizard (Lialis burtonis, Pygopodidae) in Tropical Australia Michael WALL1, 2 and Richard SHINE1* 1 School of Biological Sciences A08, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia 2 Current address: 4940 Anza St. No. 4, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA Abstract The elongate, functionally limbless flap-footed lizards (family Pygopodidae) are found throughout Australia, ranging into southern New Guinea. Despite their diversity and abundance in most Australian ecosystems, pygopodids have attracted little scientific study. An intensive ecological study of one pygopodid, Burton’s legless lizard (Lialis burtonis Gray 1835), was conducted in Australia’s tropical Northern Territory. L. burtonis eats nothing but other lizards, primarily skinks, and appears to feed relatively infrequently (only 20.8% of stomachs contained prey). Ovulation and mating occur chiefly in the late dry-season (beginning around September), and most egg-laying takes place in the early to middle wet-season (November–January). Females can lay multiple clutches per year, some of which may be fertilised with stored sperm. Free-ranging L. burtonis are sedentary ambush foragers, with radio-tracked lizards moving on average < 5 m/day. Most foraging is done diurnally, but lizards may be active at any time of day or night. Radiotracked lizards were usually found in leaf-litter microhabitats, a preference that was also evident in habitat-choice experiments using field enclosures. Lizards typically buried themselves in 6–8 cm of litter; at this depth, they detect potential prey items while staying hidden from predators and prey and avoiding lethally high temperatures.
    [Show full text]
  • An Intial Estimation of the Numbers and Identification of Extant Non
    Answers Research Journal 8 (2015):171–186. www.answersingenesis.org/arj/v8/lizard-kinds-order-squamata.pdf $Q,QLWLDO(VWLPDWLRQRIWKH1XPEHUVDQG,GHQWLÀFDWLRQRI Extant Non-Snake/Non-Amphisbaenian Lizard Kinds: Order Squamata Tom Hennigan, Truett-McConnell College, Cleveland, Georgia. $EVWUDFW %LRV\VWHPDWLFVLVLQJUHDWÁX[WRGD\EHFDXVHRIWKHSOHWKRUDRIJHQHWLFUHVHDUFKZKLFKFRQWLQXDOO\ UHGHÀQHVKRZZHSHUFHLYHUHODWLRQVKLSVEHWZHHQRUJDQLVPV'HVSLWHWKHODUJHDPRXQWRIGDWDEHLQJ SXEOLVKHGWKHFKDOOHQJHLVKDYLQJHQRXJKNQRZOHGJHDERXWJHQHWLFVWRGUDZFRQFOXVLRQVUHJDUGLQJ WKHELRORJLFDOKLVWRU\RIRUJDQLVPVDQGWKHLUWD[RQRP\&RQVHTXHQWO\WKHELRV\VWHPDWLFVIRUPRVWWD[D LVLQJUHDWIOX[DQGQRWZLWKRXWFRQWURYHUV\E\SUDFWLWLRQHUVLQWKHILHOG7KHUHIRUHWKLVSUHOLPLQDU\SDSHU LVmeant to produce a current summary of lizard systematics, as it is understood today. It is meant to lay a JURXQGZRUNIRUFUHDWLRQV\VWHPDWLFVZLWKWKHJRDORIHVWLPDWLQJWKHQXPEHURIEDUDPLQVEURXJKWRQ WKH $UN %DVHG RQ WKH DQDO\VHV RI FXUUHQW PROHFXODU GDWD WD[RQRP\ K\EULGL]DWLRQ FDSDELOLW\ DQG VWDWLVWLFDO EDUDPLQRORJ\ RI H[WDQW RUJDQLVPV D WHQWDWLYH HVWLPDWH RI H[WDQW QRQVQDNH QRQ DPSKLVEDHQLDQOL]DUGNLQGVZHUHWDNHQRQERDUGWKH$UN,WLVKRSHGWKDWWKLVSDSHUZLOOHQFRXUDJH IXWXUHUHVHDUFKLQWRFUHDWLRQLVWELRV\VWHPDWLFV Keywords: $UN(QFRXQWHUELRV\VWHPDWLFVWD[RQRP\UHSWLOHVVTXDPDWDNLQGEDUDPLQRORJ\OL]DUG ,QWURGXFWLRQ today may change tomorrow, depending on the data Creation research is guided by God’s Word, which and assumptions about that data. For example, LVIRXQGDWLRQDOWRWKHVFLHQWLÀFPRGHOVWKDWDUHEXLOW naturalists assume randomness and universal 7KHELEOLFDODQGVFLHQWLÀFFKDOOHQJHLVWRLQYHVWLJDWH
    [Show full text]
  • An Annotated Type Catalogue of the Dragon Lizards (Reptilia: Squamata: Agamidae) in the Collection of the Western Australian Museum Ryan J
    RECORDS OF THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM 34 115–132 (2019) DOI: 10.18195/issn.0312-3162.34(2).2019.115-132 An annotated type catalogue of the dragon lizards (Reptilia: Squamata: Agamidae) in the collection of the Western Australian Museum Ryan J. Ellis Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Western Australian Museum, Locked Bag 49, Welshpool DC, Western Australia 6986, Australia. Biologic Environmental Survey, 24–26 Wickham St, East Perth, Western Australia 6004, Australia. Email: [email protected] ABSTRACT – The Western Australian Museum holds a vast collection of specimens representing a large portion of the 106 currently recognised taxa of dragon lizards (family Agamidae) known to occur across Australia. While the museum’s collection is dominated by Western Australian species, it also contains a selection of specimens from localities in other Australian states and a small selection from outside of Australia. Currently the museum’s collection contains 18,914 agamid specimens representing 89 of the 106 currently recognised taxa from across Australia and 27 from outside of Australia. This includes 824 type specimens representing 45 currently recognised taxa and three synonymised taxa, comprising 43 holotypes, three syntypes and 779 paratypes. Of the paratypes, a total of 43 specimens have been gifted to other collections, disposed or could not be located and are considered lost. An annotated catalogue is provided for all agamid type material currently and previously maintained in the herpetological collection of the Western Australian Museum. KEYWORDS: type specimens, holotype, syntype, paratype, dragon lizard, nomenclature. INTRODUCTION Australia was named by John Edward Gray in 1825, The Agamidae, commonly referred to as dragon Clamydosaurus kingii Gray, 1825 [now Chlamydosaurus lizards, comprises over 480 taxa worldwide, occurring kingii (Gray, 1825)].
    [Show full text]
  • Evolution of the Iguanine Lizards (Sauria, Iguanidae) As Determined by Osteological and Myological Characters
    Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive Theses and Dissertations 1970-08-01 Evolution of the iguanine lizards (Sauria, Iguanidae) as determined by osteological and myological characters David F. Avery Brigham Young University - Provo Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd Part of the Life Sciences Commons BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Avery, David F., "Evolution of the iguanine lizards (Sauria, Iguanidae) as determined by osteological and myological characters" (1970). Theses and Dissertations. 7618. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/7618 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. EVOLUTIONOF THE IGUA.NINELI'ZiUIDS (SAUR:U1., IGUANIDAE) .s.S DETEH.MTNEDBY OSTEOLOGICJJJAND MYOLOGIC.ALCHARA.C'l'Efi..S A Dissertation Presented to the Department of Zoology Brigham Yeung Uni ver·si ty Jn Pa.rtial Fillf.LLlment of the Eequ:Lr-ements fer the Dz~gree Doctor of Philosophy by David F. Avery August 197U This dissertation, by David F. Avery, is accepted in its present form by the Department of Zoology of Brigham Young University as satisfying the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. 30 l'/_70 ()k ate Typed by Kathleen R. Steed A CKNOWLEDGEHENTS I wish to extend my deepest gratitude to the members of m:r advisory committee, Dr. Wilmer W. Tanner> Dr. Harold J. Bissell, I)r. Glen Moore, and Dr. Joseph R. Murphy, for the, advice and guidance they gave during the course cf this study.
    [Show full text]
  • Fauna of Australia 2A
    FAUNA of AUSTRALIA 28. FAMILY PYGOPODIDAE Glenn M. Shea 28. FAMILY PYGOPODIDAE Pl. 4.9. Delma butleri (Pygopodidae) is legless; it inhabits Triodia clumps in semi- arid and arid habitats in southern Australia; the pale yellow of the belly can brighten rapidly, perhaps in response to stress. [G. Shea] Pl. 4.10. Lialis burtonis (Pygopodidae) is found throughout Australia except in the extreme south-west and south-east; highly variable in colour and pattern; inhabits low vegetation and ground litter; feeds mainly on small lizards. [J. Wombey] 2 28. FAMILY PYGOPODIDAE Pl. 4.11. Aprasia parapulchella (Pygopodidae): a little known species found near Canberra and parts of the Riverina, New South Wales. [J. Wombey] Pl. 4.12. Pygopus nigriceps (Pygopodidae): showing characteristic black head bands; a nocturnal insectivore found throughout Australia, except along the wetter south and south-east coasts and ranges. [H. Cogger] 3 28. FAMILY PYGOPODIDAE Figure 28.1 Pygopus lepidopodus, the most generally primitive pygopodid. [B. Jantulik] DEFINITION AND GENERAL DESCRIPTION The Pygopodidae is a small family of 35 species, placed by most recent authors in eight genera. The family is endemic to Australia and New Guinea. All species are elongate, snake-like lizards (Fig. 28.1, Pls 4.9–4.12), with imbricate, or overlapping, body scales, hind limbs reduced to short scaly flaps without obvious toes (Fig. 28.2), and a tail which varies from slightly shorter to much longer than the body and is capable of being autotomised. There are no external traces of front limbs. The eyes have vertical pupils and are covered by a transparent spectacle.
    [Show full text]
  • Taxonomic Assessment of Two Pygopodoid Gecko Subspecies from Western Australia
    See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338531530 Taxonomic assessment of two pygopodoid gecko subspecies from Western Australia Article in Israel Journal of Ecology and Evolution · January 2020 DOI: 10.1163/22244662-20191078 CITATIONS READS 0 169 4 authors, including: Paul Doughty Ian Brennan Government of Western Australia Australian National University 136 PUBLICATIONS 2,689 CITATIONS 17 PUBLICATIONS 61 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: Barcoding utility in a mega-diverse, cross-continental genus: keeping pace with Cyrtodactylus geckos View project All content following this page was uploaded by Ian Brennan on 15 January 2020. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. Israel Journal of Ecology & Evolution, 2020 http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/22244662-20191078 Taxonomic assessment of two pygopodoid gecko subspecies from Western Australia Luke Kealleya,*, Paul Doughtya, Danielle Edwardsb and Ian G. Brennanc aDepartment of Terrestrial Zoology, Western Australian Museum, 49 Kew Street, Welshpool 6106, Australia bSchool of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, CA 95343, U.S.A. cDivision of Ecology & Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia Abstract Subspecies designations for herpetofauna in Western Australia were largely coined in the 20th century where rigorous evolutionary concepts to species were not consistently applied. Rather, subspecies tended to designate geographic populations of similar-looking taxa to nominate forms, usually differing in size, pattern or colour and, at best, a few scalation differences. Here we re-evaluate two pygopodoid taxa from Western Australia using a combination of published and original genetic data coupled with a reassessment of morphology.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 §4-71-6.5 List of Restricted Animals [ ] Part A: For
    §4-71-6.5 LIST OF RESTRICTED ANIMALS [ ] PART A: FOR RESEARCH AND EXHIBITION SCIENTIFIC NAME COMMON NAME INVERTEBRATES PHYLUM Annelida CLASS Hirudinea ORDER Gnathobdellida FAMILY Hirudinidae Hirudo medicinalis leech, medicinal ORDER Rhynchobdellae FAMILY Glossiphoniidae Helobdella triserialis leech, small snail CLASS Oligochaeta ORDER Haplotaxida FAMILY Euchytraeidae Enchytraeidae (all species in worm, white family) FAMILY Eudrilidae Helodrilus foetidus earthworm FAMILY Lumbricidae Lumbricus terrestris earthworm Allophora (all species in genus) earthworm CLASS Polychaeta ORDER Phyllodocida FAMILY Nereidae Nereis japonica lugworm PHYLUM Arthropoda CLASS Arachnida ORDER Acari FAMILY Phytoseiidae 1 RESTRICTED ANIMAL LIST (Part A) §4-71-6.5 SCIENTIFIC NAME COMMON NAME Iphiseius degenerans predator, spider mite Mesoseiulus longipes predator, spider mite Mesoseiulus macropilis predator, spider mite Neoseiulus californicus predator, spider mite Neoseiulus longispinosus predator, spider mite Typhlodromus occidentalis mite, western predatory FAMILY Tetranychidae Tetranychus lintearius biocontrol agent, gorse CLASS Crustacea ORDER Amphipoda FAMILY Hyalidae Parhyale hawaiensis amphipod, marine ORDER Anomura FAMILY Porcellanidae Petrolisthes cabrolloi crab, porcelain Petrolisthes cinctipes crab, porcelain Petrolisthes elongatus crab, porcelain Petrolisthes eriomerus crab, porcelain Petrolisthes gracilis crab, porcelain Petrolisthes granulosus crab, porcelain Petrolisthes japonicus crab, porcelain Petrolisthes laevigatus crab, porcelain Petrolisthes
    [Show full text]
  • Gecko Diversity: a History of Global Discovery
    Israel Journal of Ecology & Evolution, 2020 http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/22244662-bja10003 Gecko diversity: a history of global discovery Peter Uetza,*, Alex Slavenkob,c, Shai Meiric,d and Matthew Heinickee,* aCenter for Biological Data Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1000 W Cary St, Richmond, VA 23284, USA bDepartment of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Shefeld, Shefeld S10 2TN, UK cSchool of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel-Aviv, Israel dThe Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel-Aviv, Israel eDepartment of Natural Sciences, University of Michigan-Dearborn,4901 Evergreen Rd., Dearborn, MI 48128, USA Abstract 1935 gecko species (and 224 subspecies) were known in December 2019 in seven families and 124 genera. These nearly 2000 species were described by ~950 individuals of whom more than 100 described more than 10 gecko species each. Most gecko species were discovered during the past 40 years. The primary type specimens of all currently recognized geckos (including subspecies) are distributed over 161 collections worldwide, with 20 collections having about two thirds of all primary types. The primary type specimens of about 40 gecko taxa have been lost or unknown. The phylogeny of geckos is well studied, with DNA sequences being available for ~76% of all geckos (compared to ~63% in other reptiles) and morphological characters now being collected in databases. Geographically, geckos occur on fve continents and many islands but are most species-rich in Australasia (which also houses the greatest diversity of family-level taxa), Southeast Asia, Africa, Madagascar, and the West Indies. Among countries, Australia has the highest number of geckos (241 species), with India, Madagascar, and Malaysia being the only other countries with more than 100 described species each.
    [Show full text]
  • Are Pygopods Just Legless Geckos? Evidence from Retinal Structures
    Are pygopods just legless geckos? Evidence from retinal structures BEATE RöLL & F. WILHELM HENKEL Abstract The retinae of pygopods contain two types of single visual cells (types Al and A2), while the retinae of geckos conatin only one type of single visual cell (type A). On the other hand, pygopods lack a specialized type of visual cell (type C double visual cell), which is present in the retinae of all geckos. The visual system of geckos and its history is well understood, and the evolutionary course of aquisition and loss of retinal characters is discussed. The case of the type C visual cell in particular clearly points to geckos and pygopods to have evolved independently from common ancestral stock. Therefore, we suggest to retain the 'traditional' arrangement of pygopods as sister group of all geckos and to regard pygopods as distinct family Pygopodidae next to geckos Gekkonidae. Key words: Sauria: Gekkonidae, Pygopodidae; diplodactyline geckos; sister group; visual cells; double visual cell of type C. Zusammenfassung Sind Pygopoden tatsächlich beinlose Geckos? Auswertuni von Retinastrukturen. Aufgrund zahlreicher Synapomorphien wurden Geckos (Gekkonidae) und Pygopoden (Pygo­ podidae, Flossenfüße) als Schwestergruppen innerhalb der Gekkota angesehen. Die Gekkoni­ dae wurden dabei in vier Unterfamilien unterteilt (Eublepharinae, Gekkoninae, Sphaerodac­ tylinae, Diplodactylinae). Neuere systematische Gliederungsversuche der Geckos führten einerseits zur Höhergruppierung verschiedener Gecko-Taxa und andererseits zur Aufnahme der Pygopoden in die Gruppe der Geckos als monophyletisches Schwestertaxon der Diplodac­ tylinae. Diese nicht allgemein akzeptierte systematische Einteilung basiert auf einem einzigen Merkmal, welches als Synapomorphie diplodactyline Geckos und Pygopoden kennzeichnen soll. Hierbei handelt es sich um die morphologische Ausprägung des Muskels, der den äußeren Gehörgang schließt.
    [Show full text]
  • Phyllodactylus Wirshingi)
    Original Article Cytogenet Genome Res Published online: January 26, 2019 DOI: 10.1159/000496379 ZZ/ZW Sex Chromosomes in the Endemic Puerto Rican Leaf-Toed Gecko ( Phyllodactylus wirshingi ) a c a a, b, d Stuart V. Nielsen Juan D. Daza Brendan J. Pinto Tony Gamble a b Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, and Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, WI , c d Department of Biological Sciences, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX , and Bell Museum of Natural History, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN , USA Keywords ed sex chromosomes – but can also be used to identify which Gekkota · Lizard · Phyllodactylidae · RADseq · Reptile · chromosomes in the genome are the sex chromosomes. We Squamata here identify a ZZ/ZW sex chromosome system in P. wir- shingi . Furthermore, we show that 4 of the female-specific markers contain fragments of genes found on the avian Z Abstract and discuss homology with P. wirshingi sex chromosomes. Investigating the evolutionary processes influencing the or- © 2019 S. Karger AG, Basel igin, evolution, and turnover of vertebrate sex chromosomes requires the classification of sex chromosome systems in a great diversity of species. Among amniotes, squamates (liz- Investigating the number and directionality of transi- ards and snakes) – and gecko lizards in particular – are wor- tions among sex-determining systems is a vital prerequi- thy of additional study. Geckos possess all major vertebrate site for studying sex chromosome evolution. This in- sex-determining systems, as well as multiple transitions volves not only determining whether a species has a het- among them, yet we still lack data on the sex-determining erogametic male (XX/XY) or female (ZZ/ZW) sex systems for the vast majority of species.
    [Show full text]
  • First Evidence of Convergent Lifestyle Signal in Reptile Skull Roof
    Ebel et al. BMC Biology (2020) 18:185 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-020-00908-y RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access First evidence of convergent lifestyle signal in reptile skull roof microanatomy Roy Ebel1,2* , Johannes Müller1,2 , Till Ramm1,2,3,4 , Christy Hipsley3,4 and Eli Amson1 Abstract Background: The study of convergently acquired adaptations allows fundamental insight into life’s evolutionary history. Within lepidosaur reptiles—i.e. lizards, tuatara, and snakes—a fully fossorial (‘burrowing’) lifestyle has independently evolved in most major clades. However, despite their consistent use of the skull as a digging tool, cranial modifications common to all these lineages are yet to be found. In particular, bone microanatomy, although highly diagnostic for lifestyle, remains unexplored in the lepidosaur cranium. This constitutes a key gap in our understanding of their complexly interwoven ecology, morphology, and evolution. In order to bridge this gap, we reconstructed the acquisition of a fossorial lifestyle in 2813 lepidosaurs and assessed the skull roof compactness from microCT cross-sections in a representative subset (n = 99). We tested this and five macroscopic morphological traits for their convergent evolution. Results: We found that fossoriality evolved independently in 54 lepidosaur lineages. Furthermore, a highly compact skull roof, small skull diameter, elongate cranium, and low length ratio of frontal and parietal were repeatedly acquired in concert with a fossorial lifestyle. Conclusions: We report a novel case of convergence that concerns lepidosaur diversity as a whole. Our findings further indicate an early evolution of fossorial modifications in the amphisbaenian ‘worm-lizards’ and support a fossorial origin for snakes.
    [Show full text]
  • Phylogenetic Relationships Within Squamata Richard Estes, Kevin De Queiroz, and Jacques Gauthier
    Phylogenetic Relationships within Squamata Richard Estes, Kevin de Queiroz, and Jacques Gauthier INTRODUCTION Previous analyses of Squamata or "Lacertilia" were hampered by the lack of a well-corrobo- rated hypothesis of relationhips within Lepidosauria and their fossil relatives. The present attempt at réévaluation of squamate phylogeny was prompted by several factors. One impetus grew out of the compilation of the "lizard" fossil record given by Estes (1983a) in the Handbuch der Paläoherpetologie. The diagnoses of the groups prepared for the Handbuch provided an extensive initial list of osteological characters for both fossil and Recent "lizards." Camp (1923), who we honor with the papers in this volume, made extensive use of osteological characters in his Classi- fication of the Lizards. Supplementation and modification of his list of characters is therefore desir- able as one means of evaluating various aspects of Camp's hypotheses of squamate relationships. Availability of a phylogenetic systematic study of reptiles (Gauthier, 1984) and the related study on lepidosauromorph reptiles (Gauthier et al., 1988) was another factor important to the de- velopment of the present analysis. For the first time it is possible to analyze relationships within Squamata in light of a well corroborated hypothesis of relationships among squamates and their closest relatives. Our objectives in this paper are: first, to obtain a minimum-step computer-generated clado- gram of currently recognized "lizard" families based on a large number of osteological characters and characters from soft anatomy, including many of those used by Camp (1923); and second, to evaluate these results, identifying the principal problem areas, and offering a less highly resolved but better supported cladogram that can be used as an estimate of the actual phylogeny.
    [Show full text]