Lapitiguana

Lapitiguana Temporal range: Holocene

Natunaornis and Lapitiguana
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Iguania
Family:	Iguanidae
Genus:	†Lapitiguana
Species:	†L. impensa
Binomial name
†Lapitiguana impensa Pregill & Worthy, 2003

The Fiji Giant Iguana (Lapitiguana impensa) was a large species (1.5 m long) of iguanid which was endemic to Fiji.^[1]^[2] It became extinct 3000 years ago, presumably as a result of the human colonisation of the islands.^[2]

All extant Oceanian iguanas belong to the genus Brachylophus, which also includes a giant extinct species from Tonga. The closest living relatives of the South Pacific iguanas are found in America.^[3]^[4] Its name is derived from the neolithic Lapita culture.

See also

References

↑ "Fiji Giant Iguana, Lapitiguana impensa (Species)". Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
1 2 Pregill, G. K.; Worthy, T. H. (March 2003). "A New Iguanid Lizard (Squamata, Iguanidae) from the Late Quaternary of Fiji, Southwest Pacific". Herpetologica. 59 (1). The Herpetologists' League: 57–67. doi:10.1655/0018-0831(2003)059[0057:ANILSI]2.0.CO;2. Archived from the original on 2022-04-27. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
↑ Keogh, J. Scott; Edwards, Danielle L.; Fisher, Robert N.; Harlow, Peter S. (2008-10-27). "Molecular and morphological analysis of the critically endangered Fijian iguanas reveals cryptic diversity and a complex biogeographic history". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. 363 (1508). Royal Society: 3413–3426. doi:10.1098/rstb.2008.0120. PMC 2607380. PMID 18782726.
↑ Noonan, B.P.; Sites, J.W. Jr. (2009-11-24). "Tracing the origins of iguanid lizards and boine snakes of the Pacific". The American Naturalist. 175 (1). University of Chicago Press: 61–72. doi:10.1086/648607. PMID 19929634. S2CID 5882832.

External links

Extinct squamate genera

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Superorder: Lepidosauria

Acrodonta

†Anqingosaurus †Barbaturex †Bharatagama †Gueragama? †Xianglong?
Agamidae	†Indiagama †Suratagama

Pleurodonta / Iguanoidea

†Anolbanolis †Kopidosaurus †Suzanniwana †Uquiasaurus †Xihaina
Corytophanidae	†Aciprion? †Babibasiliscus †Geiseltaliellus
†Gobiguania	Anchaurosaurus Ctenomastax Igua Isodontosaurus Polrussia Saichangurvel Temujinia Zapsosaurus
Iguanidae	†Afairiguana Polychrotidae †Armandisaurus †Lapitiguana †Pumilia
Phrynosomatidae	†Desertiguana

Other extinct iguanians

†Brasiliguana †Hoyalacerta? †Huehuecuetzpalli? †Pariguana †Pristiguana? †Swainiguanoides
†Arretosauridae	Arretosaurus Dornosaurus Ergiliinsaurus Khaichinguana
†Priscagamidae	Heterodontagama Mimeosaurus Phrynosomimus Pleurodontagama? Priscagama

Armandisaurus explorator

†Polyglyphanodontia / Borioteiioidea

Chamopsiidae	Chamops Gerontoseps Glyptogenys Harmodontosaurus Haptosphenus Leptochamops Meniscognathus Pelsochamops Socognathus Stypodontosaurus Trippenaculus
Gilmoreteiidae / "macrocephalosaurines"	Gilmoreteius Kuwajimalla?
"Polyglyphanodontines"	Bicuspidon Cherminsaurus Darchansaurus Distortodon Erdenetesaurus Polyglyphanodon Sineoamphisbaena?
Other polyglyphanodontians	Adamisaurus Caninosaurus Funiusaurus Gobinatus Obamadon Olindalacerta? Paleochelco? Peneteius Tchingisaurus Tianyusaurus Tijubina? Tripennaculus Xenodontolacerta Yechilacerta

Stem Scincogekkonomorpha

Scincogekkonomorpha

†Ardeosaurus?
†Bavarisaurus?
†Durotrigia
†Eichstaettisaurus?
†Gurvelus
†Jeholacerta
†Jucaraseps
†Khereidia
†Liaoningolacerta
†Liushusaurus?
†Pedrerasaurus
†Sakurasaurus
†Scandensia?
†Yabeinosaurus?

†Bauersaurus †Carinasquama? †Norellius
Gekkota	†Cadurcogekko †Cretaceogekko †Dollogekko †Geiseleptes †Gerandogekko †Gobekko †Hoburogekko †Laonogekko †Palaeogekko †Rhodanogekko †Yantarogekko

Stem Autarchoglossa
(Evansauria)

†Parmeosaurus †Tijubina?
†Bainguidae?	Bainguis? Globaura Myrmecodaptria

†Cnodontosaurus
†Paracontogenys
†Purbicella
†Slavoia
†Polyglyphanodontia?

†Oligodontosaurus †Todrasaurus
Amphisbaenidae	†Listromycter †Lophocranion
Bipedidae	†Anniealexandria
Blanidae	†Blanosaurus †Cuvieribaena †Louisamphisbaena
†Chthonophidae	Chthonophis
Rhineuridae	†Archaerhineura †Dyticonastis †Hadrorhineura †Hyporhina †Jepsibaena †Macrorhineura †Ototriton †Plesiorhineura †Protorhineura †Spathorhynchus
†Polyodontobaenidae	Polyodontobaena

†Contogeniidae

Contogenys
Palaeoscincosaurus
Utahgenys

†Amblyolacerta
†Camptognathosaurus?
†Dormaalisaurus
†Dracaenosaurus
†Escampcerta
†Gracilicerta
†Ligerosaurus
†Maioricalacerta
†Mediolacerta
†Plesiolacerta
†Pseudeumeces
†Pseudolacerta
†Quercycerta

†Brevisaurus?
†Meyasaurus?
†Ptilotodon

†Barbatteiidae

Barbatteius
Oardasaurus

†Apsgnathus
†Calanguban
†Chromatogenys
†Dakotaseps
†Kleskunsaurus
†Lonchisaurus
†Monocnemodon
†Paleoteius?
†Saurillodon
†Saurillus
†Scincoideus
†Sciroseps
†Webbsaurus

†Bavaricordylus
†Deccansaurus?
†Eocordyla
†Konkasaurus
†Ornatocephalus?
†Palaeocordylus

†Paramacellodidae

†Aocnodromeus
†Axonoscincus
†Ayalasaurus
†Berruva
†Electroscincus
†Estescincosaurus
†Gekkomimus
†Lavergnesaurus
†Orthoscincus
†Orthrioscincus
†Penemabuya
†Proegernia
†Pyrenasaurus?

Xantusiomorpha
(Pan-Xantusiidae)

†Retinosaurus? †Tepexisaurus?
†Eoxantidae	Eoxanta Palaeoxanta
†Hodzhakuliidae	Bagaluus Carnoscincus Hodzhakulia Pachygenys Platynotoides
Xantusiidae	†Catactegenys †Palepidophyma †Palaeoxantusia

Basal anguimorphs

†Eolacerta
†Paravaranus?
†Yabeinosaurus?

†Dorsetisauridae

- see Mosasauridae
Includes Aigialosauridae, Dolichosauridae, and Mosasauridae

†Carusia
Xenosauridae	†Entomophontes †Exostinus †Restes †Xenostius

†Odaxosaurus
Anguinae	†Fontisaurus †Headonhillia †Helvetisaurus †Ophisauriscus †Ragesaurus
Diploglossinae	†Apodosauriscus †Eodiploglossus
Gerrhonotinae	†Paragerrhonotus †Parophisaurus
†Glyptosaurinae	Arpadosaurus Melanosaurus Gaultia Glyptosaurus Helodermoides Odaxosaurus Paraglyptosaurus Paraplacosauriops Peltosaurus Placosaurus Proglyptosaurus Proxestops Xestops

Paleoanguimorpha

Basal varanoids / platynotans

†Colpodontosaurus
†Eosaniwa
†Palaeovaranus
†Parasaniwa
†Parviderma
†Proplatynotia
†Saniwides
†Telmasaurus

†Acutodon
†Bahndwivici
†Dalinghosaurus
†Merkurosaurus
†Provaranosaurus

Basal goannasaurians

†Aiolosaurus
†Asprosaurus
†Chianghsia
†Estesia
†Eurheloderma
†Gobiderma
†Lowesaurus
†Morohasaurus
†Palaeosaniwa
†Paraderma
†Primaderma
†Zhongyuanxi

†Arcanosaurus?
†Cemeterius
†Dryadissector

Lanthanotidae	†Cherminotus
Varanidae	†Archaeovaranus †Ovoo †Saniwa

Aigialosaurus dalmaticus

Plioplatecarpus primaevus Estesia mongoliensis Telmasaurus grangeri

Ophidia
See Fossil snakes

Indeterminate squamates
†Asagaolacerta †Costasaurus †Hakuseps †Kuroyuriella †Lamiasaura †Schillerosaurus Parviraptoridae? (see Lepidosauromorpha)

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