Acrodonta Temporal range:
Early Cretaceous- present,
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Common chameleon, Chamaeleo chamaeleon | |
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Common Agama Agama agama | |
Scientific classification
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Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Suborder: | Iguania |
Clade: | Chamaeleontiformes |
Clade: |
Acrodonta Cope, 1864 |
Subclades | |
Acrodonta are a subclade of iguanian squamates consisting almost entirely of Old World taxa. Extant representation include the families Chamaeleonidae (chameleons) and Agamidae (dragon lizards), with at least over 500 species described. A fossil genus, Gueragama, was found in Brazil, making it the only known American representative of the group. [1]
The group is eponymously named from their acrodont dentition, whereby the teeth are consolidated with the summit of the alveolar ridge of the jaw without sockets. [2] There are, however, other animals that have acrodont dentition such as tuataras. [3]
Usually acrodonts are divided into two families Chamaeleonidae and Agamidae, there are a few studies that suggest chameleons are nested within Agamidae. [4] [5] In order to maintain the familial status of Chamaeleonidae some authors suggested placing the clades Uromastycinae and Leiolepidinae in a third family Leiolepididae. [4] [5] However a majority of papers concerning acrodont phylogenetics support the traditional dichotomy of the group. [6] [7] [8] [9]
Below is the phylogeny of the acrodont lineages after Pyron et al. (2013): [8]
Acrodonta |
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The extinct Arretosauridae ( Paleogene iguanians from Central Asia) are also sometimes classified in Acrodonta. However, other studies instead suggest it to be a sister group to the Crotaphytidae in Pleurodonta. [10] [11] [12]
Acrodonta Temporal range:
Early Cretaceous- present,
| |
---|---|
![]() | |
Common chameleon, Chamaeleo chamaeleon | |
![]() | |
Common Agama Agama agama | |
Scientific classification
![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Suborder: | Iguania |
Clade: | Chamaeleontiformes |
Clade: |
Acrodonta Cope, 1864 |
Subclades | |
Acrodonta are a subclade of iguanian squamates consisting almost entirely of Old World taxa. Extant representation include the families Chamaeleonidae (chameleons) and Agamidae (dragon lizards), with at least over 500 species described. A fossil genus, Gueragama, was found in Brazil, making it the only known American representative of the group. [1]
The group is eponymously named from their acrodont dentition, whereby the teeth are consolidated with the summit of the alveolar ridge of the jaw without sockets. [2] There are, however, other animals that have acrodont dentition such as tuataras. [3]
Usually acrodonts are divided into two families Chamaeleonidae and Agamidae, there are a few studies that suggest chameleons are nested within Agamidae. [4] [5] In order to maintain the familial status of Chamaeleonidae some authors suggested placing the clades Uromastycinae and Leiolepidinae in a third family Leiolepididae. [4] [5] However a majority of papers concerning acrodont phylogenetics support the traditional dichotomy of the group. [6] [7] [8] [9]
Below is the phylogeny of the acrodont lineages after Pyron et al. (2013): [8]
Acrodonta |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The extinct Arretosauridae ( Paleogene iguanians from Central Asia) are also sometimes classified in Acrodonta. However, other studies instead suggest it to be a sister group to the Crotaphytidae in Pleurodonta. [10] [11] [12]