Glyptosaurinae

Glyptosaurinae is an extinct subfamily of anguid lizards that lived in the Northern Hemisphere during the Late Cretaceous and the Paleogene. Glyptosaurines are known primarily from their osteoderms, scale-like pieces of bone that are embedded in the skin and cover much of their bodies. The shape and extent of the osteoderms in glyptosaurines are similar to those seen in an unrelated group of lizards called Monstersauria, which includes the living Gila monster and beaded lizard.^[1] The osteoderms of glyptosaurines are unusually complex, consiting of four distinct layers of bony tissue. These tissues may have derived from both the dermis (the lower layer of the skin) and the epidermis (the outer layer of the skin) during their development in the embryo. The tissue forming the outermost layer of glyptosaurine osteoderms is similar to tooth enamel and has even been given its own name, osteodermine.^[2]

Glyptosaurines have been split into the subgroups Melanosaurini and Glyptosaurini, although recent phylogenetic analyses show that Melanosaurini in its traditional sense is paraphyletic, representing an evolutionary grade of glytosaurines more basal ("primitive") than Glyptosaurini. Below is a cladogram from Conrad and Norell (2008) showing the interrelationships of glyptosaurines and their relationship to other anguid lizards:^[1]

Anguimorpha

†Carusioidea Anguidae Diploglossinae †Glyptosaurinae †Odaxosaurus piger †Proxestops jepseni †Xestops vagans †Paraplacosauriops quercyi †Peltosaurus granulosus †Melanosaurini (sensu stricto) †Arpadosaurus gazinorum †Melanosaurus maximus †Glyptosaurini †Glyptosaurus sylvestris †Placosaurus rugosus †Proglyptosaurus huerfanensis †Paraglyptosaurus princeps †Helodermoides tuberculatus †Placosaurus estesi †Placosaurus mongoliensis Anguinae Gerrhonotinae

References

v t e Extinct squamate genera Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Superorder: Lepidosauria   Iguania Acrodonta Anqingosaurus Barbaturex Xianglong Pleurodonta / Iguanoidea Uquiasaurus Corytophanidae ?Aciprion Geiseltaliellus †Gobiguania Anchaurosaurus Igua Isodontosaurus Polrussia Zapsosaurus Ctenomastax Saichangurvel Temujinia Iguanidae Armandisaurus Lapitiguana Pariguana Pumila Phrynosomatidae Desertiguana Polychrotidae Afairiguana Other extinct iguanians Brasiliguana ?Hoyalacerta ?Huehuecuetzpalli Pristiguana †Arretosauridae Arretosaurus Dornosaurus Ergiliinsaurus Khaichinguana †Priscagamidae Mimeosaurus Phrynosomimus Priscagama   †Polyglyphanodontia / Borioteiioidea Chamopsiidae Chamops Pelsochamops Socognathus Gilmoreteiidae / "macrocephalosaurines" Gilmoreteius Kuwajimalla Macrocephalosaurus "Polyglyphanodontines" Cherminsaurus Darchansaurus Erdenetesaurus Polyglyphanodon ?Sineoamphisbaena Other polyglyphanodontians Adamisaurus Gobinatus Obamadon Peneteius Tchingisaurus   Stem Scincogekkonomorpha and Gekkota Scincogekkonomorpha Ardeosaurus Bavarisaurus Eichstaettisaurus Jucaraseps Liushusaurus Parviraptor Pedrerasaurus Saurillodon Scandensia ?Yabeinosaurus Scleroglossa Gekkota Cretaceogekko Gobekko Hoburogekko Yanatarogecko Stem Autarchoglossa (Evansauria) Parmeosaurus Tepexisaurus Tijubina †?Bainguidae ?Bainguis Eoxanta Globaura Myrmecodaptria   Scincomorpha Cordyloidea Ornatocephalus Sakurasaurus Lacertoidea Paracontogenys Purbicella †?Polyglyphanodontia †Contogeniidae Contogenys Palaeoscincosaurus Utahgenys Xantusiidae Palaeoxantusia Scincoidea Slavoia Other scincomorphs Kleskunsaurus Lonchisaurus   Anguimorpha Basal anguimorphs Becklesius Eolacerta Meyasaurus Paramacellodus Pseudosaurillus ?Yabeinosaurus Carusioidea Carusia Xenosauridae Exostinus Restes Anguidae Anguinae Headonhillia Ophisauriscus Ragesaurus Diploglossinae Apodosauriscus Gerrhonotinae Paragerrhonotus Parophisaurus †Glyptosaurinae Arpadosaurus Melanosaurus Glyptosaurus Helodermoides Odaxosaurus Paraglyptosaurus Paraplacosauriops Peltosaurus Placosaurus Proglyptosaurus Proxestops Xestops   Varanoidea / Platynota Basal varanoids / platynotans Aiolosaurus Colpodontosaurus Dorsetisaurus Eosaniwa Necrosaurus Parasaniwa Parviderma Proplatynotia Saniwides Telmasaurus ?Shinisauria Bahndwivici Dalinghosaurus Merkurosaurus ?Monstersauria Chianghsia Estesia Eurheloderma Gobiderma Lowesaurus Palaeosaniwa Paraderma Primaderma †Mosasauroidea †Aigialosauridae †Mosasauridae Lanthanotidae Cherminotus Varanidae Ovoo Saniwa Other platynotans / varanoids ?Arcanosaurus Cemeterius