| Leiosauridae | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Diplolaemus bibronii | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Iguania |
| Clade: | Pleurodonta |
| Family: | Leiosauridae Frost,Etheridge, Janies, & Titus, 2001 |
Leiosauridae is afamily ofiguanianlizards containing sixgenera and 34species. The family isendemic toCentral America andSouth America.
A 2022 phylogenetic study found the Leiosauridae to be the sister taxa to theOpluridae, a unique family of iguaniansendemic toMadagascar, and one of only twopleurodont lineages found outside the Americas (the other being the genusBrachylophus). This called into question the previous hypothesis of Opluridae being the last members of an ancient lineage ofGondwanan iguanians, as the study found that the Leiosauridae and Opluridae only diverged during thePaleocene, about 60 million years ago. Opluridae are now thought to have colonized Madagascar viaoceanic dispersal from South America, either directly or indirectly.[1]
The family Leiosauridae contains the followinggenera:[2]
| Genus | Image | Type species | Taxon author | Common name | Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anisolepis | A. undulatus(Wiegmann, 1834) | Boulenger, 1885 | Tree lizards | 3 | |
| Diplolaemus |  D. darwinii | D. darwiniiBell, 1843 | Bell, 1843 | Patagonian lizards | 4 |
| Enyalius |  E. catenatus | E. catenatus(Wied, 1821) | Wagler, 1830 | Fathead anoles | 11 |
| Leiosaurus |  L. bellii | L. belliiDuméril &Bibron, 1837 | Duméril & Bibron, 1837 | Smooth iguanas | 4 |
| Pristidactylus |  P. achalensis | P. fasciatus(d'Orbigny & Bibron, 1837) | Fitzinger, 1843 | Big-headed iguanas | 10 |
| Urostrophus | U. vautieriDuméril & Bibron, 1837 | Duméril & Bibron, 1837 | Steppe iguanas | 2 |
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