Overview
Lepidosauromorpha is a group of comprising all diapsids closer to lizards than to archosaurs (including crocodiles and birds). The only living sub-group is the Lepidosauria: extant lizards, snakes, and tuatara.
Classification
- Subclass Diapsida
- Infraclass Lepidosauromorpha
- Acerosodontosaurus †[citation needed].
- Superorder Sauropterygia - Plesiosaurs †
- Lepidosauriformes
- Order Eolacertilia †
- Superorder Lepidosauria
- Order Sphenodontia - Tuatara
- Order Squamata
- Suborder Lacertilia* - Lizards
- Family Mosasauridae
- Suborder Serpentes - Snakes
- Suborder Amphisbaenia - Worm lizards
- Suborder Lacertilia* - Lizards
- Infraclass Lepidosauromorpha
Photos
Taxonomy
The Infraclass Lepidosauromorpha is a member of the Subclass Diapsida. Here is the complete "parentage" of Lepidosauromorpha:
- Domain: Eukaryota
Whittaker & Margulis,1978 - eukaryotes
- Kingdom: Animalia
Linnaeus, 1758 - animals
- Subkingdom: Bilateria
(Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - bilaterians
- Branch: Deuterostomia
Grobben, 1908 - Deuterostomes
- Infrakingdom: Chordonia
(Haeckel, 1874) Cavalier-Smith, 1998
- Phylum: Chordata
Bateson, 1885 - Chordates
- Subphylum: Vertebrata
Cuvier, 1812 - Vertebrates
- Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Auct. - Jawed Vertebrates
- Superclass: Tetrapoda
Goodrich, 1930 - Tetrapods
- Class: Sauropsida
- Subclass: Diapsida
- Infraclass: Lepidosauromorpha
- Subclass: Diapsida
- Class: Sauropsida
- Superclass: Tetrapoda
Goodrich, 1930 - Tetrapods
- Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Auct. - Jawed Vertebrates
- Subphylum: Vertebrata
Cuvier, 1812 - Vertebrates
- Phylum: Chordata
Bateson, 1885 - Chordates
- Infrakingdom: Chordonia
(Haeckel, 1874) Cavalier-Smith, 1998
- Branch: Deuterostomia
Grobben, 1908 - Deuterostomes
- Subkingdom: Bilateria
(Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - bilaterians
- Kingdom: Animalia
Linnaeus, 1758 - animals
The Infraclass Lepidosauromorpha is further organized into finer groupings including:
- Order (6): Eosuchia · Nothosauroidea · Placodontia · Plesiosauria · Sphenodontida · Squamata
Orders
Eosuchia
Nothosauroidea
Placodontia
Plesiosauria
Sphenodontida
Squamata
Squamata, or the scaled reptiles, is the largest recent of reptiles, including lizards and snakes. Members of the order are distinguished by their skins, which bear horny scales or shields. They also possess movable quadrate bones, making it possible to move the upper jaw relative to the braincase. This is particularly visible in snakes, which are able to open their mouths very wide to accommodate comparatively large prey. They are the most variably-sized order of reptiles, ranging from the 16 mm (0.63 in.) Jaragua Sphaero (Sphaerodactylus ariasae) to the 8 m (26 ft.) Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus). [more]
At least 24,720 species and subspecies belong to the Order Squamata.
More info about the Order Squamata may be found here.
Sources
- The text on this page is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It includes material from Wikipedia retrieved Thursday, August 13, 2009.
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