Title
Re-assessment of varanid evolution based on new data from Saniwa ensidens Leidy, 1870 (Squamata, Reptilia)
Title Variants
Alternative:
Varanid evolution
Related Titles
Series:
American Museum novitates, no. 3630
By
Conrad, Jack L.
Rieppel, Olivier
Grande, Lance
Type
Book
Material
Published material
Publication info
New York, NY American Museum of Natural History c2008
Notes
Caption title.
"December 31, 2008."
Saniwa ensidens is a pivotal taxon for understanding varanid evolution. A complete specimen of Saniwa ensidens was recently described, offering important new insights into the morphology of this taxon. We apply these new data to a broader-scale study of squamate relationships in order to understand the phylogenetic position of Saniwa ensidens and of varanids more generally. Among the other fossils included in our analysis were the Eocene taxon "Saniwa" feisti, the Miocene Varanus rusingensis, and the giant Pleistocene varanid Megalania prisca. We compare the phylogenetic hypothesis from our analysis of morphology with a recent molecular-based hypothesis and find numerous differences in the phylogenetic relationships within Varanus. We constrained our morphological data set to the phylogenetic pattern presented by the molecular data to further analyze the possible phylogenetic relationships of the fossil taxa. Our analyses show that Saniwa ensidens is the sister taxon to crown-group Varanus and that "Saniwa" feisti is a basal member of the varanid lineage, not closely related to Saniwa ensidens. Both Varanus rusingensis and Megalania prisca are members of the crown radiations of Varanus.
Subjects
Eocene
,
Evolution
,
Monitor lizards
,
Monitor lizards, Fossil
,
Paleontology
,
Phylogeny
,
Saniwa ensidens
,
Wyoming
Call Number
QL1 .A436 no.3630 2008
Language
English
Identifiers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1206/596.1
OCLC:
297114383
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