My name is Jack L. Conrad and I published a paper in PLOS ONE about my
discovery of a new fossil Babibasiliscus, which is the earliest known
species of casquehead, also known as “Jesus lizard” – Ask Me
Anything!
Abstract
Hi Reddit, My name is Jack L. Conrad and I am an Assistant Professor at
NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine and a Research Associate at the
American Museum of Natural History (AMNH). My research focuses on the
evolution, morphology, and paleontology of modern and living snakes,
amphisbaenians, mosasaurs, and other ‘lizards’ (Squamata). Squamates
first appeared around 245 million years ago, have a good fossil record
for the last 155 million years, and today include more than 9700 living
species; that’s alotta Squamata! One of the most difficult problems in
understanding squamate evolution is snake origins. We know that many
branches of the lizard family tree lost their limbs – there are limbess
geckoes, limbless skinks, limbless cousins to the Komodo Dragon, etc. –
but we don’t know from which branch of the lizard family tree snakes
come. It’s really become quite a headache, but also a fun area for
investigation. Studying this problem, and other areas of squamate
evolution, leads scientists like myself to understanding other natural
science questions and phenomena, including (but certainly not limited
to): What was Earth like at various times in the past? Are there
physical constraints on how big a lizard can be on land? In the seas?
How did lizards move across the planet as they evolved over time? I
recently published a study titled “A new Eocene casquehead lizard
(Reptliia, Corytophanidae) from North America” in PLOS ONE. This study
described the earliest known species of casquehead, or Jesus lizard,
known. Importantly, this animal lived in Wyoming when the planet was
much warmer than it is now and because its modern relatives live only in
the tropics, it raises questions about what might happen if our planet
warmed up a few degrees. I will be answering your questions at 1pm ET.
Ask Me Anything! I love everything about reptiles and evolution. I may
not have all of your answers, but I will certainly enjoy talking with
you about all of your questions! Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter
@ammoskius.