ZOO 2090 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Teiidae, Skink, Anguidae
25 Dec 2014
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Document Summary
Objectives highlight the diversity of extinct and living sauropsids describe the adaptations that enabled flight, crawling and gigantism within sauropsids. Important points diversity and major groups of sauropsids key adaptations that enabled sauropsid evolutionary radiations. Typical exam question: how have lizards and snakes modified their skull mechanics for a. Groups: most basal are anapsid then diapsids problems with ichthyosauria as a taxon (but usually refers to lepidosauria) Anapsids: captorhinids (extinct) anapsid amniotes close to early diapsids late carboniferous to permian robust skulls with multiple rows of teeth in back of jaw: possible adaptation to pierce and grind tough plant material or hard-shelled invertebrates. Crawling locomotion: life without limbs several thousand amniote species are limbless, evolved several times (successful) Ichtyosaurs (extinct: mezozic group of aquatic reptiles, fish- or dolphin-like fast predators with good vision (large eyes) dominant in jurassic seas phylogenetic position is uncertain, might be stem-diapsids, archosauromorphs, or lepidosauromorphs, bore live young as in modern cetaceans.
