Leiosauridae
Family of lizards
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Leiosauridae is a family of iguanian lizards containing six genera and 34 species. The family is endemic to Central America and South America.
| Leiosauridae | |
|---|---|
| |
| Diplolaemus bibronii | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Iguania |
| Infraorder: | Pleurodonta |
| Family: | Leiosauridae Frost, Etheridge, Janies, & Titus, 2001 |
Taxonomy
A 2022 phylogenetic study found the Leiosauridae to be the sister taxa to the Opluridae, a unique family of iguanians endemic to Madagascar, and one of only two pleurodont lineages found outside the Americas (the other being the genus Brachylophus). This called into question the previous hypothesis of Opluridae being the last members of an ancient lineage of Gondwanan iguanians, as the study found that the Leiosauridae and Opluridae only diverged during the Paleocene, about 60 million years ago. Opluridae are now thought to have colonized Madagascar via oceanic dispersal from South America, either directly or indirectly.[1]
Genera
The family Leiosauridae contains the following genera:[2]
| Genus | Image | Type species | Taxon author | Common name | Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anisolepis | A. undulatus (Wiegmann, 1834) | Boulenger, 1885 | Tree lizards | 3 | |
| Diplolaemus |  D. darwinii |
D. darwinii Bell, 1843 | Bell, 1843 | Patagonian lizards | 4 |
| Enyalius |  E. catenatus |
E. catenatus (Wied, 1821) | Wagler, 1830 | Fathead anoles | 11 |
| Leiosaurus |  L. bellii |
L. bellii Duméril & Bibron, 1837 | Duméril & Bibron, 1837 | Smooth iguanas | 4 |
| Pristidactylus |  P. achalensis |
P. fasciatus (d'Orbigny & Bibron, 1837) | Fitzinger, 1843 | Big-headed iguanas | 10 |
| Urostrophus | U. vautieri Duméril & Bibron, 1837 | Duméril & Bibron, 1837 | Steppe iguanas | 2 |
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