Anchaurosaurus

Anchaurosaurus (meaning "morning lizard" in Latin) is an extinct genus of iguanian lizard from the Late Cretaceous of Inner Mongolia, China. It belongs to an extinct clade of iguanians called Gobiguania that was endemic to the Gobi Desert during the Late Cretaceous.[1] The type species, Anchaurosaurus gilmorei, was named in 1995 on the basis of a well-preserved skull and incomplete skeleton from the Djadochta Formation. Compared to other iguanians, Anchaurosaurus has a relatively elongated skull, large eye sockets, and higher tooth crowns.[2] Phylogenetic analysis indicates that among gobiguanians, Anchaurosaurus is most closely related to Zapsosaurus from Mongolia. Below is a cladogram from Daza et al. (2012) showing the phylogenetic relationships of Anchaurosaurus:[3]

Iguania

†Hoyalacerta sanzi         †Huehuecuetzpalli mixtecus     †Pristiguana brasiliensis       Chamaeleontiformes   †Priscagamidae     Acrodonta     Iguanoidea (=Pleurodonta)   Silvaiguana   Hoplocercidae     Polychrotidae     †Gobiguania   †Polrussia mongoliensis     †Igua minuta     †Isodontosaurus gracilis       †Anchaurosaurus gilmorei     †Zapsosaurus sceliphros         †Saichangurvel davidsoni       †Temujinia ellisoni     †Ctenomastax parva           Euiguana   Corytophanidae     Terraiguana         Iguanidae     Crotaphytidae         Phrynosomatidae       Opluridae       †Uquiasaurus       Liolaemidae       Leiocephalus     Tropiduridae

Anchaurosaurus Temporal range: Late Cretaceous
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Iguania
Clade:	†Gobiguania
Genus:	†Anchaurosaurus Gao and Hou, 1995
Type species
†Anchaurosaurus gilmorei' Gao and Hou, 1995

References

1. Conrad, J. L.; Norell, M. A. (2007). "A Complete Late Cretaceous Iguanian (Squamata, Reptilia) from the Gobi and Identification of a New Iguanian Clade". American Museum Novitates. 3584: 1. doi:10.1206/0003-0082(2007)3584[1:ACLCIS]2.0.CO;2. hdl:2246/5877.
2. Keqin, Gao; Lianhai, Hou (1995). "Iguanians from the Upper Cretaceous Djadochta Formation, Gobi Desert, China". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 15: 57–78. doi:10.1080/02724634.1995.10011207.
3. Daza, J. D.; Abdala, V.; Arias, J. S.; García-López, D.; Ortiz, P. (2012). "Cladistic Analysis of Iguania and a Fossil Lizard from the Late Pliocene of Northwestern Argentina". Journal of Herpetology. 46: 104–119. doi:10.1670/10-112.