What Animals Are Related to Iguanas
Iguanas belong to the family Iguanidae and are part of the order Squamata, which includes various reptile groups such as lizards, snakes, and worm lizards. This article explores the relationships between iguanas and other reptiles, including chameleons, monitor lizards, and other members of the Iguanidae family.
Family and Order Relationships
Iguanas are part of the larger family Iguanidae, which is a family of lizards. This places them within the order Squamata, along with other lizard species such as anoles, chameleons, and skinks. In terms of evolutionary history, iguanas share a common ancestor with these other lizards, even though they belong to different families.
Furthermore, within the order Squamata, iguanas have distant relatives such as snakes. However, they also share a more recent common ancestor with monitor lizards like the Komodo dragon. Together, these reptiles form the diverse group of squamates, which includes:
Anoles Chameleons Skinks Snakes Worm lizards Amphisbaenians TuatarasIguana Taxonomy
Iguana is the name for any lizard in the taxonomic clade Iguanidae. This clade, Pleurodonta, is distinguished by a unique feature where the teeth are positioned laterally, hence the name 'lateral teeth.' The Iguanidae family is part of a larger group called Diapsida, which includes all living reptiles.
Classification of Squamata
Reptiles in the order Squamata are further divided into two primary clades:
Testudines: This clade includes turtles and tortoises. Archosauria: This clade includes crocodiles, pterosaurs, and dinosaurs (including birds).In addition to these, the order Squamata is part of the larger clade called Sauropsida, which includes all animals that descended from tetrapods with a clearly bilateral symmetry and with the skull fenestrae (two openings behind the eye) open along the margin of the jaw (diapsida).
Evolution and Diversity
Iguanas and their relatives represent a significant portion of the diversity within the Diapsida group. Other members of this group include synapsids, which are a group that includes mammals and their extinct relatives. However, synapsids are now extinct, while mammal-like reptiles (therapsids) represent the evolutionary line that led to mammals.
Ultimately, the evolutionary relationships between iguanas and other reptiles highlight the diversity and complexity of life on Earth. Understanding these relationships is crucial for comprehending evolutionary history and the development of different species over time.