Coded classification of Squamatiformes (Squamata)

[Ken Kinman]

Dear All,
      I really like the new phylogeny of Lacertilia, so it convinced me to sit down and do a cladisto-eclectic classification of Order Squamatiformes (Squamata).  Many of the extinct families (+) are difficult to place until they can be reevaluated in light of the new phylogeny, and placing various extinct snake families is even more hotly debated (Pachyrhachiidae in particular).  I also need to work on the coding of living snake families a lot more (the Colubroid polytomy in particular).  Note that although Lacertilia is sometimes still called Sauria, this latter taxon has been *very* greatly expanded (by strict cladists) to encompass the entire crown clade of Diapsida (lepidosaurs plus archosaurs, and thus even including the birds).

     The only quibble I have with the new molecular phylogeny is that their Anguimorpha is probably paraphyletic with respect to snakes, and I believe more molecular data will confirm this, so that is how I have coded it (based on paleontological evidence).  As I noted in the previous posting, snakes (Serpentes) are apparently closer to Varanidae than to either the iguanians (clade 5) or the Anguidae group (clade 6).  The mosasaurs are closer still and are part of the Pythonomorpha clade (clades 10-13).  The new Toxicofera clade includes clades 5-13.  It's really nice the way venom production, egg tooth number (Unidentata, clades 3-13), and other morphological data are correlated with the molecular data.  Anyway, here is my first coded classification of squamates (I will add in even more fossil families later):

ORDER SQUAMATIFORMES (Squamata)
   1  LACERTILIA (lizards and "worm lizards")
          1  Dibamidae
          2  Eublepharidae
          ?  Bavarisauridae (+)
          ?  Ardeosauridae (+)
          B  Gekkonidae
          C  Pygopodidae
          3  Paramacellodidae (+)
          B  Scincidae
          C  Xantusiidae
          D  Cordylidae
          4  Teiidae (sensu lato)
          B  Lacertidae
          ?  Polyglyphanodontidae (+)
          ?  Macrocephalosauridae (+)
          C  Rhineuridae
          D  Bipedidae
          E  Trogonophiidae
          F  Amphisbaenidae
          5  Iguanidae
          ?  Euposauridae (+)
          B  Leiolepididae
          C  Agamidae
          D  Chamaeleonidae
          6  Xenosauridae
          B  Shinisauridae
          C  Anniellidae
          D  Anguidae
          7  Necrosauridae (+)
          8  Helodermatidae
          9  Lanthanotidae
          B  Varanidae
         10  Aigialosauridae (+)
          B  Mosasauridae (+)
         11  Dolichosauridae (+)
         12  Plesion _Adriosaurus_ (+)
         13  {{Serpentes}}

  _a_  SERPENTES (snakes)
          1  Pachyophiidae (+)
          2  Leptotyphlopidae
          B  Typhlopidae
          C  Anomalepididae
          3  Dinilysiidae (+)
          ?  Palaeophiidae (+)
          4  Lapparentophiidae (+)
          5  Simoliophiidae (+)
          6  Aniliidae
          B  Cylindrophiidae (+)
          C  Uropeltidae
          7  Loxocemidae
          B  Xenopeltidae
          ?  Pachyrhachiidae (+)
          ?  Madtsoiidae (+)
          8  Pythonidae
          9  Boiidae
          ?  Ungaliophiidae
          ?  Tropidophiidae
         10  Bolyeriidae
         11  Acrochordidae
          B  Nigerophiidae (+)
         12  Viperidae
          A  Russelophiidae (+)
          A  Atractaspididae
          A  Elapidae
          A  Colubridae

**************************************************
    ----Cheers,
              Ken Kinman