The dire wolf is an extinct canine. The dire wolf lived in the Americas during the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene epochs. A putative, controversial fossil was recently reported from northeast China, but other researchers questioned the taxonomic attribution of this specimen. The species was named in 1858, four years after the first specimen had been found. Two subspecies are recognized: Aenocyon dirus guildayi and Aenocyon dirus dirus. The largest collection of its fossils has been obtained from the Rancho La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles.
The Iguanidae is a family of lizards composed of the iguanas, chuckwallas, and their prehistoric relatives, including the widespread green iguana.
The genus Brachylophus consists of four extant iguanid species native to the islands of Fiji and a giant extinct species from Tonga in the South West Pacific. One of the extant species, B. fasciatus, is also present on Tonga, where it has apparently been introduced by humans.
Leiocephalidae, also known as the curlytail lizards or curly-tailed lizards, is a family of iguanian lizards restricted to the West Indies. One of the defining features of these lizards is that their tail often curls over. They were previously regarded as members of the subfamily Leiocephalinae within the family Tropiduridae. There are presently 30 known species, all in the genus Leiocephalus.
Mosasaurus is the type genus of the mosasaurs, an extinct group of aquatic squamate reptiles. It lived from about 82 to 66 million years ago during the Campanian and Maastrichtian stages of the Late Cretaceous. The genus was one of the first Mesozoic marine reptiles known to science—the first fossils of Mosasaurus were found as skulls in a chalk quarry near the Dutch city of Maastricht in the late 18th century, and were initially thought to be crocodiles or whales. One skull discovered around 1780 was famously nicknamed the "great animal of Maastricht". In 1808, naturalist Georges Cuvier concluded that it belonged to a giant marine lizard with similarities to monitor lizards but otherwise unlike any known living animal. This concept was revolutionary at the time and helped support the then-developing ideas of extinction. Cuvier did not designate a scientific name for the animal; this was done by William Daniel Conybeare in 1822 when he named it Mosasaurus in reference to its origin in fossil deposits near the Meuse River. The exact affinities of Mosasaurus as a squamate remain controversial, and scientists continue to debate whether its closest living relatives are monitor lizards or snakes.
Megalonyx is an extinct genus of ground sloths of the family Megalonychidae, native to North America. It evolved during the Pliocene Epoch and became extinct at the end of the Late Pleistocene, living from ~5 million to ~13,000 years ago. The type species, M. jeffersonii, the youngest and largest known species, measured about 3 meters (9.8 ft) in length and weighed up to 1,000 kilograms (2,200 lb).
Varanoidea is a superfamily of lizards, including the well-known family Varanidae. Also included in the Varanoidea are the Lanthanotidae, and the extinct Palaeovaranidae.
The Navassa curly-tailed lizard or Navassa curlytail lizard is an extinct lizard species from the family of curly-tailed lizard (Leiocephalidae). It is known only from the holotype, a female specimen from which it was described in 1868. A possible second specimen which was collected by Rollo Beck in 1917 was instead identified as a Tiburon curly-tailed lizard by herpetologist Richard Thomas in 1966.
The Martinique curlytail lizard is an extinct species of lizard in the family of curly-tailed lizard (Leiocephalidae).
Lazarussuchus is an extinct genus of amphibious reptile, known from the Cenozoic of Europe. It is the youngest known member of Choristodera, an extinct order of aquatic reptiles that first appeared in the Middle Jurassic. Fossils have been found in Late Paleocene, Late Oligocene, Early Miocene and possibly Late Miocene deposits in France, Germany, and the Czech Republic. Two species have been named: the type species L. inexpectatus ("unexpected") from the late Oligocene of France. and L. dvoraki from the early Miocene of the Czech Republic. It was not a large animal; with the total preserved body and tail length of L. inexpectatus being just over 30 centimetres. A complete specimen of Lazarussuchus with preserved soft tissue was found from the Late Paleocene of France, but has not been assigned to a species.
The Hispaniolan masked curly-tailed lizard is a lizard species from the family of curly-tailed lizard (Leiocephalidae). It is also known as the Hispaniolan masked curlytail, Haitian curlytail lizard and the green-legged curly-tail. endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola.
Leiocephalus carinatus, commonly known as the northern curly-tailed lizard or saw-scaled curlytail, is a species of lizard in the family Leiocephalidae.
The blunt-toothed giant hutia is an extinct species of giant hutia from Anguilla and Saint Martin that is estimated to have weighed between 50 and 200 kg. It was discovered by Edward Drinker Cope in 1868 in a sample of phosphate sediments mined in an unknown cave in Anguilla and sent to Philadelphia to estimate the value of the sediments. It is the sole species of the genus Amblyrhiza in the fossil family Heptaxodontidae.
"Ekbletomys hypenemus" is an extinct species of rodent from the islands of Antigua and Barbuda, Lesser Antilles. It was described as the only species of the subgenus "Ekbletomys" of genus Oryzomys in a 1962 Ph.D. thesis, but because that name was not available under the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature the species remains formally unnamed to this day. Though considered extinct, examinations of Rattus indicate that it survived until before 1500 BCE on Antigua.
Leiocephalus endomychus, commonly known as the Hinche curlytail or central Haitian curlytail, is a species of lizard in the family Leiocephalidae. It is native to Haiti, although fossils are known from Barbuda and Antigua.
Leiocephalus etheridgei, commonly known as the Morovis curlytail, is an extinct species of lizard in the family Leiocephalidae. The species was native to Puerto Rico.
Leiocephalus jamaicensis, commonly known as the Jamaican curlytail, is an extinct species of lizard in the family Leiocephalidae. It was native to Jamaica.
Leiocephalus roquetus, also known as the curlytail roquet or La Désirade curlytail lizard, is an extinct species of lizard in the family of curly-tailed lizard (Leiocephalidae). It was endemic to Guadeloupe.
Leiocephalus apertosulcus, also known as the Banica giant curlytail lizard is an extinct species of curly-tailed lizard from Hispaniola. This species stands out within the genus Leiocephalus for its unique skeletal characteristics and large size.
