Prehistoric Models: Lizards
Lizards are a clade of reptiles that can be found on every continent except Antarctica. It is important to know that the earliest diapsid reptiles of the Carboniferous and Permian may have been similar in appearance to modern lizards, but simply share a convergent morphology (body forms). The first true lizards appear in the fossil record during the early Jurassic Period some 200 million years ago, although there are fossil remains from the Late Triassic around 220 million years ago considered iguanian.
Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Chordata – Superclass: Tetrapoda – Class: Reptilia – Clade: Diapsida – Order: Squamata – Family: Varinidae
(“Monitor lizards”)
(Late Cretaceous to Holocene)
Genus and species: Varanus komodoensis
Common name: Komodo dragon
Range: Indonesia, Flores, Gili Montang, Rinca
Time: Pliocene to Holocene
Diet: Carnivore
Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Chordata – Superclass: Tetrapoda – Class: Reptilia – Clade: Diapsida – Order: Squamata – Suborder: Iguania
(Iguanomorpha)
Early Jurassic to Holocene
Genus and species: Amblyrhynchus cristatus
Common name: Galapagos marine iguana
Classification: Family: Iguanidae
Range: Galapagos Islands
Time: Holocene
Diet: Herbivore
Genus and species: Conolophus subcristatus
Common name: Galapagos land iguana
Classification: Family: Iguanidae
Range: Galapagos Islands
Time: Holocene
Diet: Herbivore
Genus and species: Iguana iguana
Common name: Green iguana
Classification: Family: Iguanidae
Range: Central and northern South America
Time: Holocene
Diet: Herbivore
Genus and species: Phrynosoma sp.
Common name: Horny toads or horntoads
Classification: Family: Phrynosomaidae
Range: North America
Time: Holocene
Diet: Insectivore
Genus and species: Chlamydosaurus kingii
Common name: Frilled lizard
Classification: Family: Agamidae
Range: Northern Australia, Southern New Guinea
Time: Holocene
Diet: Carnivore
Common name: Chameleon
Classification: Family: Chameleonidae
Range: Africa, Madagascar, Middle East, Morrocco, Sothern India
Time: Early Miocene to Holocene
Diet: Insectivore
Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Chordata – Superclass: Tetrapoda – Class: Reptilia – Clade: Diapsida – Order: Squamata – Infraorder: Gekkota – Family: Gekkonidae
(Gekkos)
Early Cretaceous to Holocene
Common name: Gekko
Classification: Family: Gekkonidae
Range: Warm Climates
Time: Early Cretaceous to Holocene
Diet: Insectivore
Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Chordata – Superclass: Tetrapoda – Class: Reptilia – Clade: Diapsida – Order: Squamata – Infraorder: Neoanguimorpha – Clade: Monsterauria – Family: Helodermatidae
(Heloderma)
Early Miocene to Holocene
Genus and species: Heloderma suspectum
Common names: Gila monster
Classification: Family: Helodermidae
Range: American Southwest
Time: Holocene
Diet: Carnivore
Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Chordata – Superclass: Tetrapoda – Class: Reptilia – Clade: Diapsida – Order: Squamata
(Lizards)
Early Jurassic to Holocene
Type: Lizard
Common name: Lizards
Range: All temperate zones
Time: Early Jurassic to Holocene
Diet: Insectivore
Type: Lizard
Common name: Lizards
Range: All temperate zones
Time: Early Jurassic to Holocene
Diet: Insectivore
