A second Anolis lizard in Dominican amber and the systematics and ecological morphology of Dominican amber anoles. American Museum novitates ; no. 3249

TLDR: Body proportions and lamella counts of both amber fossils indicate that these Uzards are trunk-crown anoles, that is, members of an ecologically and morphologically denned class of anoles specialized for life high on the trunks and in the crowns of trees.

Abstract: A fossil Anolis lizard in the collections of the American Museum of Natural History is the second anole preserved in amber from the Dominican Republic (Miocene epoch) to be studied. The fossil exhibits skeletal characters indicating that it is a juvenile member of a large clade of anoles that includes many extant Hispaniolan species and is characterized by close association between the clavicles and the lateral processes of the interclavicle. Standard external characters that can be scored in the fossil are identical to those of two of the four extant species in the A. chlorocyanus species group; however, because relatively few characters can be scored in the fossil, and because the polarities of the relevant characters are currently unknown, the fossil can be only tentatively referred to that group. The skeletal and external characters of the new fossil are also nearly identical to those of A. dominicanus, another Dominican amber anole; however, the latter fossil is relatively poorly preserved, and its currently known characters are identical to those of several extant species, including two species of the A. chlorocyanus species group. Body proportions and lamella counts of both amber fossils indicate that these Uzards are trunk-crown anoles, that is, members of an ecologically and morphologically denned class of anoles specialized for life high on the trunks and in the crowns of trees. This finding is consistent with referral of the fossil anoles to the A. chlorocyanus species group, all extant members of which are trunk-crown anoles. ' Associate Curator, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560. ^ Undergraduate Honor Student, Department of Biology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130. ^ Associate Professor, Department of Biology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130. Copyright © American Museum of Natural History 1998 ISSN 0003-0082 / Price $2.50 AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES NO. 3249