@ARTICLE{TreeBASE2Ref18408, author = {Robin Lawson and Michael S.Y. Lee and Tod W. Reeder and Joseph Bruno Slowinski and M. S. Y. Lee}, title = {Resolving reptile relationships: Molecular and morphological markers}, year = {2004}, keywords = {}, doi = {}, url = {}, pmid = {}, journal = {Proceedings of the Tree of Life Symposium}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, abstract = {Living reptiles (including birds) form three major clades, lepidosaurs (tuataras and squamates), archosaurs (crocodilians and birds) and turtles. The relationship of turtles to other reptiles is contentious, with morphological evidence indicating they are basal to all other living reptiles, but molecular evidence suggesting a turtle-archosaur clade. However, both data sets are suspect: the morphological data set is highly homoplasious and contains secondary signals placing turtles higher up the reptile tree, while a general increase in the rate of molecular evolution in squamates could cause multiple molecular data sets to artifactually push squamates towards the base of the reptile tree, resulting in a turtle-archosaur clade. Within lepidosaurs, a combined morphological (399 characters) and molecular (12S and 16S rRNA, c-mos, c-myc) analysis finds robust support that snakes are modified anguimorph lizards; this is consistent with palaeontological studies suggesting similarities between large extinct marine anguimorphs (mosasaurs) and primitive, limbed marine snakes. Within snakes, the combined morphological (263 characters) and molecular (12S and 16S rRNA, cyt-b, c-mos) evidence confirms the primitive nature of the limbed marine snakes; among living taxa, however, the burrowing blindsnakes and pipesnakes are the most basal. Living archosaurs - crocodilians and birds - share many striking evolutionary novelties, such as a complex divided heart, gizzard with stomach stones, nest building from vegetation, parental care of nestlings which chirp, and very similar genes. These similarities and implied close relationship justify the classification of birds with crocodilians, as a subgroup of reptiles. This taxonomy is further supported by recent finds of extinct archosaurian reptiles (dinosaurs) with feathers, wishbones and wing-like wrists, which further blur the distinction between birds and non-avian reptiles. Reptiles have provided the empirical ground for the growth of many of the most important advances in systematics, and will continue to do so.} }

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