The Polychrotidae

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

(sometimes classified as the Polychrotinae

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end botanical subfamily names with "-oideae", and zo ...

instead) of

iguania Iguania is an infraorder of squamate reptiles that includes iguanas, chameleons, agamids, and New World lizards like anoles and phrynosomatids. Using morphological features as a guide to evolutionary relationships, the Iguania are believed ...

n lizards contains the living

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

Polychrus ''Polychrus'' is the Monotypic taxon, only extant genus of Polychrotidae, polychrotid lizards in the world. Commonly called bush anoles, they are found in Central America, Central and South America, as well as nearby Trinidad and Tobago. ''Poly ...

'' (commonly called bush anoles) and the extinct genus ''

Afairiguana ''Afairiguana avius'' is an extinct iguanid lizard known from a nearly complete and articulated skeleton discovered in rocks of the Early Eocene-aged Green River Formation of Wyoming, United States. As of the initial description, the skeleton rep ...

''. The family Polychrotidae was once thought to encompass all

anole Dactyloidae are a family of lizards commonly known as anoles (singular anole ) and native to warmer parts of the Americas, ranging from southeastern United States to Paraguay. Instead of treating it as a family, some authorities prefer to treat ...

s, including those in the genus ''

Anolis ''Anolis'' is a genus of anoles (), iguanian lizards in the family Dactyloidae, native to the Americas. With more than 425 species, it represents the world's most species-rich amniote tetrapod genus, although many of these have been proposed to b ...

'' (which are now included in the family

Dactyloidae Dactyloidae are a family of lizards commonly known as anoles (singular anole ) and native to warmer parts of the Americas, ranging from southeastern United States to Paraguay. Instead of treating it as a family, some authorities prefer to treat ...

). Studies of the evolutionary relationships of anoles based on molecular information has shown that ''Polychrus'' is not closely related to ''Anolis'', but instead closer to

Hoplocercidae Hoplocercidae are a family of lizards native to the tropical forests, woodlands and savanna-like habitats of Central America, Central and South America. Alternatively they are recognized as a subfamily, Hoplocercinae. 20 species in two genera are ...

. It is therefore not part of Dactyloidae and instead is treated as the family, Polychrotidae.

References

Extant Ypresian first appearances Lizard families Extant Eocene first appearances {{Iguanidae-stub