The native terrestrial reptile fauna of New Zealand comprises the last representatives of the
Sphenodontida—two species of tuatara (Sphenodon)—and about 60 species of lizards in …

Squamate reptiles are uniquely suited to study of evolution of reproductive mode and pattern
of embryonic nutrition. Viviparous species have evolved from oviparous ancestors on …

Viviparity has evolved many times within squamate reptiles, mostly in cool climates, but the
selective advantages of uterine retention of eggs remain obscure. Previous analyses have …

The infrageneric phylogenetic position of the Brazilian skink Mabuya atlantica was inferred
from 859 bp of the mitochondrial 16S and 12S rRNA genes. It could be shown that M …

Although the relationship between dietary and phenotypic specialization has been well
documented for many vertebrate groups, it has been stated that few such general trends can …

Traditional comparative studies examine evolutionary associations of traits by comparing
different species, regardless of their phylogenetic relationships. A problem with such an …

Although viviparity is widely considered to evolve irreversibly from oviparity, an analysis of
squamates by de Fraipont, Clobert, and Barbault in 1996 presented evidence to the …

A prominent model for the evolution of placentation among Reptilia is based on placental
structure among species in the Eugongylus group of Australian lygosomatine skinks. We …

Skinks are usually grouped in a single family, Scincidae (1,579 species) representing one-
quarter of all lizard species. Other large lizard families, such as Gekkonidae (sl) and …

Viviparity (live-bearing reproduction) is a widespread reproductive pattern of considerable
biological significance and a subject of intensive ongoing investigation. Viviparity in …