Anguiformes Conrad, 2006b

Conrad, J. L., 2008, Phylogeny And Systematics Of Squamata (Reptilia) Based On Morphology, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2008 (310), pp. 1-182 : 112

Anguiformes Conrad, 2006b

(figs. 54D, 55D, 56C)

DEFINITION: Anguis fragilis , Varanus varius , and all descendants of their last common ancestor.

DIAGNOSIS: This analysis recovers five unambiguous synapomorphies for anguiforms. These are 74(0) absence of frontal tabs on the parietal, 76(1) presence of an anteroposteriorly elongate decensus parietalis, 198(0) absence of a posterior overlap of the coronoid by the dentary, 221(1) replacement teeth occur posterolingually with a small resorption pit, and 260(0) clavicles lacking proximal expansion; thus, rod-like.

COMMENTS: The phylogenetic topology presented in this analysis differs from that of Conrad (2006b) in the placement of Carusia and Xenosauridae . The earlier analysis found Carusia and Xenosauridae to be successively more proximal outgroups to a clade containing anguids, shinisaurids, and varanoids (Conrad, 2006b), but the present study recovers a monophyletic Carusioidea (sensu Gao and Norell, 1998, 2000; see below) as the sister-taxon to a clade containing modern anguids (figs. 54D, 55D). Regardless, the name Anguiformes is retained and maintains its meaning as a clade containing anguids and varanoids (among others) to the exclusion of more basal anguimorphs (e.g., Yabeinosaurus ).

Note that Diploglossa might have been an alternative name for this clade or even for the clade described above as Anguimorpha if not for re-definition of that name ( Lee, 1998). That definition, ‘‘The least inclusive clade containing [ Cordylidae , Scincidae , Anguidae , Xenosauridae , Helodermatidae , Lanthanotus borneensis , and Varanus ] to the exclusion of [ Rhynchocephalia , Iguanidae , Agaminae , Leiolepis , Uromastyx , Chamaeleonidae , Xan- tusiidae, Eublepharinae , Diplodactylinae , Gekkoninae , Pygopodidae , Lacertidae , Teiidae , and Gymnophthalmidae ]’’ ( Lee, 1998: 436) describes a paraphyletic group in this phylogenetic hypothesis. If that group name is made monophyletic by amending the definition to fewer excluded taxa, then the name becomes a synonym for Autarchoglossa. However, traditional usage of Diploglossa (see, for example Romer, 1956; Estes, 1983; Estes and Pregill, 1988; Uetz, 2007) does not intend the inclusion of scincomorphs such as Cordyliformes or Scincidae .