Barbaturex
| Barbaturex | |
|---|---|
| |
| Assorted jaw fossils of B. morrisoni | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Iguania |
| Clade: | Acrodonta |
| Genus: | †Barbaturex Head et al., 2013 |
| Type species | |
| Barbaturex morrisoni Head et al., 2013
| |
Barbaturex is an extinct
portmanteau of the Latin words Barbatus and rex, meaning "bearded king", in reference to ridges along the mandible and the lizard's large size.[1]
Ecology
Barbaturex lived in a dry tropical forest. It is thought to have been herbivorous, living within a typical Eocene fauna composed of hyaenodonts, basal primates, various artiodactyls and soft-shelled turtles.
Relationships
Barbaturex belongs to a major group of lizards called Iguania, represented today by
Uromasticinae, which includes the living Uromastyx, a genus of short-skulled herbivorous agamid lizards. Below is a cladogram showing the relationship of Barbaturex to other members of Acrodonta:[1]
| Acrodonta |
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References
- ^ PMID 23740779.
- ^ Smith, Steve (5 June 2013). "'Lizard King' Fossil Shows Giant Reptiles Coexisted With Mammals During Globally Warm Past". ScienceDaily. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
- ^ "Extinct lizard named after The Doors' singer Jim Morrison". BBC News. Retrieved 2013-06-06.