| Diapsid reptiles Fossil range: Carboniferous-Recent |
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See text. The Carboniferous is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Devonian period about 359 Omeisaurus (meaning "Omei lizard" is a Genus of Sauropod Dinosaur from the Late Jurassic Period of what Chordates ( Phylum Chordata) are a group of Animals that includes the Vertebrates together with several closely related Invertebrates Reptiles, or members of the class Reptilia are air-breathing Cold-blooded Vertebrates that have skin covered in scales as opposed to hair or feathers Henry Fairfield Osborn ( August 8, 1857 – November 6, 1935) was an American Geologist, Paleontologist, and This article is about the taxonomic rank for the sequence of species in a taxonomic list see Taxonomic order In scientific classification used |
Diapsids ("two arches") are a group of reptiles that developed two holes (temporal fenestra) in each side of their skulls, about 300 million years ago during the late Carboniferous period. Reptiles, or members of the class Reptilia are air-breathing Cold-blooded Vertebrates that have skin covered in scales as opposed to hair or feathers Annum is one form of the Latin noun meaning Year, not a form normally used for derivatives in modern languages the accusative singular The Carboniferous is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Devonian period about 359 Living diapsids are extremely diverse, and include all crocodiles, lizards, snakes, and tuatara. A crocodile is any Species belonging to the family Crocodylidae (sometimes classified instead as the Subfamily Crocodylinae) Lizards are a large and widespread group of Reptiles of the order Squamata, with nearly 5000 species and ranging across all continents except A snake is an elongate Reptile of the suborder Serpentes Like all reptiles snakes are covered in scales. The tuatara is a reptile endemic to New Zealand which though it resembles most lizards is actually part of a distinct lineage order Sphenodontia. Under modern classification systems, even birds are considered diapsids, since they evolved from diapsid ancestors and are nested within the diapsid clade. Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. A clade is a taxonomic group comprising a single Common ancestor and all the descendants of that ancestor While some diapsids have lost either one hole (lizards), or both holes (snakes), or even have a heavily restructured skull (modern birds), they are still classified as diapsids based on their ancestry. There are at least 7,925 species of diapsid reptile existing in environments around the world today (over 14,600 when birds are included). In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank.
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Characteristics
The name Diapsida means "two arches", and diapsids are traditionally classified based on their two ancestral skull openings (temporal fenestrae) posteriorly above and below the eye. This arrangement allows for the attachment of larger, stronger jaw muscles, and enables the jaw to open more widely. A more obscure ancestral characteristic is a relatively long lower arm bone (the radius), compared to the upper arm bone (humerus). The radius is the Bone of the Forearm that extends from the lateral side of the elbow to the Thumb side of the Wrist. The humerus is a Long bone in the Arm or Forelimb that runs from the Shoulder to the Elbow.
Systematics
Diapsids were originally classified as one of four subclasses of the class Reptilia, all of which were based on the number and arrangement of openings in the skull. The other three subclasses were Synapsida (one opening low on the skull, for the "mammal-like reptiles"), Anapsida (no skull opening, including turtles and their relatives), and Euryapsida (one opening high on the skull, including many prehistoric marine reptiles). Synapsids ('fused arch' also known as theropsids ('beast face' are a class of Animals that includes Mammals and everything closer to mammals than An anapsid is an Amniote whose skull does not have openings near the temples While "anapsid reptiles" or "anapsida" are traditionally Euryapsida is a Polyphyletic (unnatural as the various members are not closely related group of Reptiles that are distinguished by a single temporal fenestra With the advent of phylogenetic nomenclature, this system of classification was heavily modified. Phylogenetic nomenclature (PN is an alternative to rank-based nomenclature. The Synapsids today are often not considered true reptiles, while the Euryapsida was found to be an unnatural assemblage of diapsids that had lost one of their skull openings. Some studies have suggested that this is the case in turtles as well, and that turtles are actually heavily modified diapsids, which would leave only some prehistoric forms in the Anapsida. In phylogenetic systems, birds (descendants of traditional diapsid reptiles) are also considered to be members of this group.
Well known extinct diapsid groups include the dinosaurs, pterosaurs, plesiosaurs, mosasaurs, and many more obscure lineages. For other meanings see Pterodactyl (disambiguation. Pterosaurs (ˈtɛrəsɔr from the Greek πτερόσαυρος pterosauros Plesiosaurs (ˈpliːziəˌsɔɹ ( Greek: plesios/πλησιος meaning 'near' or 'close to' and sauros/σαυρος meaning Mosasaurs (from Latin Mosa meaning the ' Meuse river ' in the Netherlands and Greek sauros meaning 'lizard' were serpentine marine The classification of most of the early groups is fluid and subject to change.
Taxonomy
- Subclass DIAPSIDA
- Order Araeoscelidia
- Order Avicephala
- Order Thalattosauria
- Order Younginiformes
- Superorder Ichthyopterygia (ichthyosaurs)
- Infraclass Lepidosauromorpha
- Order Eolacertilia
- Superorder Lepidosauria (tuatara, lizards, amphisbaenians and snakes)
- Superorder Sauropterygia (plesiosaurs and relatives)
- Infraclass Archosauromorpha
- Order Aetosauria
- Order Choristodera
- Order Phytosauria
- Order Prolacertiformes
- Order Pterosauria
- Order Rauisuchia
- Order Rhynchosauria
- Order Trilophosauria
- Superorder Crocodylomorpha (crocodiles and extinct relatives)
- Superorder Dinosauria
Phylogeny
Diapsida |--Araeoscelida |-?Sphodrosaurus |-?Palacrodon |-?Omphalosaurus `--+--Avicephala `--Neodiapsida |--Apsisaurus `--Eosuchia |-?Younginiformes `--+-?Claudiosaurus |-?Ichthyopterygia `--Sauria |-?Thalattosauriformes |--Lepidosauromorpha `--Archosauromorpha
See also
External links
- Diapsida. Araeoscelidia or Araeoscelida is a Clade of extinct Diapsid Reptiles superficially resembling Lizards. Avicephala is an extinct Clade of bizarre Diapsid Reptiles that lived during the Late Permian and Triassic periods Thalattosaurs (meaning "ocean lizards" are a group of prehistoric Marine reptiles which lived during the mid-late Triassic Period Younginiformes is a replacement name for the taxon Eosuchia, proposed by Alfred Romer in 1947 Ichthyopterygia ("fish flippers" was a designation introduced by Sir Richard Owen in 1840 to designate the Jurassic Ichthyosaurs that were known at Ichthyosaurs ( Greek for 'fish lizard' - ιχθυς / ichthyos meaning 'fish' and σαυρος / sauros meaning 'lizard' were giant Lepidosauromorpha is a group of Reptiles comprising all Diapsids closer to Lizards than to Archosaurs (including Crocodiles and The Lepidosauria are Reptiles with overlapping scales They include the Tuataras Lizards Snakes and Amphisbaenians Lepidosaurians The tuatara is a reptile endemic to New Zealand which though it resembles most lizards is actually part of a distinct lineage order Sphenodontia. Lizards are a large and widespread group of Reptiles of the order Squamata, with nearly 5000 species and ranging across all continents except The Amphisbaenia are a suborder of usually legless Squamates closely related to Lizards and Snakes As many species possess a pink body coloration and A snake is an elongate Reptile of the suborder Serpentes Like all reptiles snakes are covered in scales. Sauropterygia (" Lizard Flippers quot is a group of very successful aquatic Reptiles that flourished during the Age of the Dinosaurs before Plesiosaurs (ˈpliːziəˌsɔɹ ( Greek: plesios/πλησιος meaning 'near' or 'close to' and sauros/σαυρος meaning Archosauromorpha ( Greek for "ruling lizard forms" is an Infraclass of Diapsid Reptiles that first appeared during the late Permian The Aetosaurs (literally "Eagle Lizards" ( family) Stagonolepididae, Order Aetosauria) are an Extinct Clade of heavily Choristodera is an order of semi-aquatic Diapsid Reptiles which ranged from the Middle Jurassic, or possibly Late Triassic, to Phytosaurs - family Phytosauridae or Parasuchidae - were a group of large (2 to 12 meters long - average size 3 to 4 meters semi-aquatic predatory Prolacertiformes (sometimes called protorosaurs) were an order of archosauromorph Reptiles that lived during the Permian and Triassic For other meanings see Pterodactyl (disambiguation. Pterosaurs (ˈtɛrəsɔr from the Greek πτερόσαυρος pterosauros Rauisuchia are a poorly known assemblage of predatory and mostly large (often 4 to 6 meters Triassic Archosaurs Originally it was believed that they were related Rhynchosaurs were a group of unusual Triassic Diapsid Reptiles related to the archosaurs. Trilophosaurs were lizard-like Triassic Diapsid Reptiles related to the Archosaurs The best known Genus is Trilophosaurus The Crocodylomorpha are an important group of Archosaurs that include the Crocodilians and their extinct relatives A crocodile is any Species belonging to the family Crocodylidae (sometimes classified instead as the Subfamily Crocodylinae) Araeoscelidia or Araeoscelida is a Clade of extinct Diapsid Reptiles superficially resembling Lizards. Omphalosaurus is an Extinct Genus of Marine reptile from the Early Triassic of Spitsbergen. Avicephala is an extinct Clade of bizarre Diapsid Reptiles that lived during the Late Permian and Triassic periods Neodiapsida is a Clade or major branch of the reptilian family tree that includes all Diapsids apart from some early primitive types known as Araeoscelidia Eosuchians are an extinct order of Diapsid reptiles Depending on which taxa are included the order may have ranged from the late Carboniferous to Younginiformes is a replacement name for the taxon Eosuchia, proposed by Alfred Romer in 1947 Claudiosaurus is an Extinct Genus of Diapsid Reptile from the Permian period Ichthyopterygia ("fish flippers" was a designation introduced by Sir Richard Owen in 1840 to designate the Jurassic Ichthyosaurs that were known at Sauria is a Clade of reptiles that includes all living Diapsids as well as their Common ancestor and all its extinct descendants Thalattosaurs (meaning "ocean lizards" are a group of prehistoric Marine reptiles which lived during the mid-late Triassic Period Lepidosauromorpha is a group of Reptiles comprising all Diapsids closer to Lizards than to Archosaurs (including Crocodiles and Archosauromorpha ( Greek for "ruling lizard forms" is an Infraclass of Diapsid Reptiles that first appeared during the late Permian Vertebrate paleontology seeks to discover the behavior reproduction and appearance of extinct spined animals through the study of their Fossilized remains Synapsids ('fused arch' also known as theropsids ('beast face' are a class of Animals that includes Mammals and everything closer to mammals than An anapsid is an Amniote whose skull does not have openings near the temples While "anapsid reptiles" or "anapsida" are traditionally Euryapsida is a Polyphyletic (unnatural as the various members are not closely related group of Reptiles that are distinguished by a single temporal fenestra Michel Laurin and Jacques A. Gauthier. Tree of Life Web Project. June 22, 2000.
- Diapsida Cladogram at Mikko's Phylogeny Archive
 Caption: Skull of false gharial (Tomistoma schlegeli) |
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