The first iguanian lizard from the Mesozoic of Africa
The fossil record shows that iguanian lizards were widely distributed during the Late Cretaceous. However, the biogeographic history and early evolution of one of its most diverse and peculiar clades (acrodontans) remain poorly known. Here, we present the first Mesozoic acrodontan from Africa, which...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
The Royal Society
2016-01-01
|
| Series: | Royal Society Open Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.160462 |
| _version_ | 1828777123712598016 |
|---|---|
| author | Sebastián Apesteguía Juan D. Daza Tiago R. Simões Jean Claude Rage |
| author_facet | Sebastián Apesteguía Juan D. Daza Tiago R. Simões Jean Claude Rage |
| author_sort | Sebastián Apesteguía |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The fossil record shows that iguanian lizards were widely distributed during the Late Cretaceous. However, the biogeographic history and early evolution of one of its most diverse and peculiar clades (acrodontans) remain poorly known. Here, we present the first Mesozoic acrodontan from Africa, which also represents the oldest iguanian lizard from that continent. The new taxon comes from the Kem Kem Beds in Morocco (Cenomanian, Late Cretaceous) and is based on a partial lower jaw. The new taxon presents a number of features that are found only among acrodontan lizards and shares greatest similarities with uromastycines, specifically. In a combined evidence phylogenetic dataset comprehensive of all major acrodontan lineages using multiple tree inference methods (traditional and implied weighting maximum-parsimony, and Bayesian inference), we found support for the placement of the new species within uromastycines, along with Gueragama sulamericana (Late Cretaceous of Brazil). The new fossil supports the previously hypothesized widespread geographical distribution of acrodontans in Gondwana during the Mesozoic. Additionally, it provides the first fossil evidence of uromastycines in the Cretaceous, and the ancestry of acrodontan iguanians in Africa. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T16:14:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ece1c087a668455d8b1bb4fc05e25302 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2054-5703 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T16:14:00Z |
| publishDate | 2016-01-01 |
| publisher | The Royal Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Royal Society Open Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-ece1c087a668455d8b1bb4fc05e253022022-12-22T00:59:00ZengThe Royal SocietyRoyal Society Open Science2054-57032016-01-013910.1098/rsos.160462160462The first iguanian lizard from the Mesozoic of AfricaSebastián ApesteguíaJuan D. DazaTiago R. SimõesJean Claude RageThe fossil record shows that iguanian lizards were widely distributed during the Late Cretaceous. However, the biogeographic history and early evolution of one of its most diverse and peculiar clades (acrodontans) remain poorly known. Here, we present the first Mesozoic acrodontan from Africa, which also represents the oldest iguanian lizard from that continent. The new taxon comes from the Kem Kem Beds in Morocco (Cenomanian, Late Cretaceous) and is based on a partial lower jaw. The new taxon presents a number of features that are found only among acrodontan lizards and shares greatest similarities with uromastycines, specifically. In a combined evidence phylogenetic dataset comprehensive of all major acrodontan lineages using multiple tree inference methods (traditional and implied weighting maximum-parsimony, and Bayesian inference), we found support for the placement of the new species within uromastycines, along with Gueragama sulamericana (Late Cretaceous of Brazil). The new fossil supports the previously hypothesized widespread geographical distribution of acrodontans in Gondwana during the Mesozoic. Additionally, it provides the first fossil evidence of uromastycines in the Cretaceous, and the ancestry of acrodontan iguanians in Africa.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.160462acrodontabiogeographycretaceousgondwanaphylogenysquamata |
| spellingShingle | Sebastián Apesteguía Juan D. Daza Tiago R. Simões Jean Claude Rage The first iguanian lizard from the Mesozoic of Africa Royal Society Open Science acrodonta biogeography cretaceous gondwana phylogeny squamata |
| title | The first iguanian lizard from the Mesozoic of Africa |
| title_full | The first iguanian lizard from the Mesozoic of Africa |
| title_fullStr | The first iguanian lizard from the Mesozoic of Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | The first iguanian lizard from the Mesozoic of Africa |
| title_short | The first iguanian lizard from the Mesozoic of Africa |
| title_sort | first iguanian lizard from the mesozoic of africa |
| topic | acrodonta biogeography cretaceous gondwana phylogeny squamata |
| url | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.160462 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sebastianapesteguia thefirstiguanianlizardfromthemesozoicofafrica AT juanddaza thefirstiguanianlizardfromthemesozoicofafrica AT tiagorsimoes thefirstiguanianlizardfromthemesozoicofafrica AT jeanclauderage thefirstiguanianlizardfromthemesozoicofafrica AT sebastianapesteguia firstiguanianlizardfromthemesozoicofafrica AT juanddaza firstiguanianlizardfromthemesozoicofafrica AT tiagorsimoes firstiguanianlizardfromthemesozoicofafrica AT jeanclauderage firstiguanianlizardfromthemesozoicofafrica |