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Barbaturex Temporal range: Eocene, 37.2 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Assorted jaw fossils of B. morrisoni
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Iguania
Clade:	Acrodonta
Genus:	†Barbaturex Head et al., 2013
Type species
Barbaturex morrisoni Head et al., 2013

Barbaturex is an extinct genus of giant herbivorous iguanian lizards from Pondaung Formation, the Eocene of Myanmar. It is represented by a single species, Barbaturex morrisoni, which is known from several partial dentaries (lower jaw bones) and a fused pair of frontals, two bones that form part of the top of the skull. Based on the size of these bones, Barbaturex morrisoni is estimated to have been about 1 metre (3.3 ft) from snout to vent, and possibly up to 6 feet (1.8 m) including the tail. Barbaturex morrisoni was named after The Doors frontman Jim Morrison, a play on his epithet "The Lizard King". The genus's name is a portmanteau of the Latin words Barbatus and rex, meaning "bearded king", in reference to ridges along the mandible and the lizard's large size.

Ecology

Barbaturex lived in a dry tropical forest. It is thought to have been herbivorous, living within a typical Eocene fauna composed of hyaenodonts, basal primates, various artiodactyls and soft-shelled turtles.

Relationships

Barbaturex belongs to a major group of lizards called Iguania, represented today by iguanas, chameleons, and agamids. It belongs to a clade or evolutionary grouping of iguanians called Acrodonta. Like other members of Acrodonta, Barbaturex has an acrodont dentition at the back of its jaws, meaning that the teeth are completely fused with the jaw bone, and a pleurodont dentition at the front of its jaws, meaning that the teeth are fused with the inside surface of the jaw bone. A phylogenetic analysis published with its initial description placed Barbaturex as the sister taxon or closest relative of the group Uromasticinae, which includes the living Uromastyx, a genus of short-skulled herbivorous agamid lizards. Below is a cladogram showing the relationship of Barbaturex to other members of Acrodonta:

References

1. ^ Head, J. J.; Gunnell, G. F.; Holroyd, P. A.; Hutchison, J. H.; Ciochon, R. L. (2013). "Giant lizards occupied herbivorous mammalian ecospace during the Paleogene greenhouse in Southeast Asia". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 280 (1763): 20130665. doi:10.1098/rspb.2013.0665. PMC 3774227. PMID 23740779.
2. Smith, Steve (5 June 2013). "'Lizard King' Fossil Shows Giant Reptiles Coexisted With Mammals During Globally Warm Past". ScienceDaily. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
3. "Extinct lizard named after The Doors' singer Jim Morrison". BBC News. Retrieved 2013-06-06.

v t e Extinct squamate genera
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Superorder: Lepidosauria
Iguania Acrodonta Anqingosaurus Barbaturex Bharatagama Gueragama Xianglong Agamidae Indiagama Suratagama Pleurodonta / Iguanoidea Anolbanolis Suzanniwana Uquiasaurus Xihaina Corytophanidae Aciprion? Babibasiliscus Geiseltaliellus †Gobiguania Anchaurosaurus Ctenomastax Igua Isodontosaurus Polrussia Saichangurvel Temujinia Zapsosaurus Iguanidae Afairiguana Polychrotidae Armandisaurus Lapitiguana Pariguana Pristiguana Pumilia Phrynosomatidae Desertiguana Other extinct iguanians Brasiliguana Hoyalacerta? Huehuecuetzpalli? Swainiguanoides †Arretosauridae Arretosaurus Dornosaurus Ergiliinsaurus Khaichinguana †Priscagamidae Heterodontagama Mimeosaurus Phrynosomimus Pleurodontagama? Priscagama
†Polyglyphanodontia / Borioteiioidea Chamopsiidae Chamops Gerontoseps Glyptogenys Harmodontosaurus Haptosphenus Leptochamops Meniscognathus Pelsochamops Socognathus Stypodontosaurus Trippenaculus Gilmoreteiidae / "macrocephalosaurines" Gilmoreteius Kuwajimalla Yechilacerta "Polyglyphanodontines" Bicuspidon Cherminsaurus Darchansaurus Distortodon Erdenetesaurus Polyglyphanodon Sineoamphisbaena? Other polyglyphanodontians Adamisaurus Funiusaurus Gobinatus Obamadon Olindalacerta? Paleochelco? Peneteius Tchingisaurus Tianyusaurus Tijubina? Tripennaculus
Stem Scincogekkonomorpha Scincogekkonomorpha Ardeosaurus? Bavarisaurus? Eichstaettisaurus? Jucaraseps Liushusaurus? Pedrerasaurus Scandensia? Yabeinosaurus? Scleroglossa Gekkonomorpha Norellius Gekkota Cadurcogekko Cretaceogekko Gobekko Hoburogekko Yanatarogecko Stem Autarchoglossa (Evansauria) Parmeosaurus Tepexisaurus Tijubina? †Bainguidae? Bainguis? Eoxanta Globaura Myrmecodaptria
Scincomorpha Cordyloidea Eocordyla Ornatocephalus Sakurasaurus Lacertoidea Cnodontosaurus Paracontogenys Purbicella †Polyglyphanodontia? Amphisbaenia 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 Lacertidae Amblyolacerta Camptognathosaurus? Dormaalisaurus Dracaenosaurus Escampcerta Gracilicerta Ligerosaurus Maioricalacerta Mediolacerta Plesiolacerta Pseudeumeces Pseudolacerta Quercycerta Teiidae Brevisaurus? Meyasaurus? Ptilotodon †Barbatteiidae Barbatteius Oardasaurus Xantusiidae Catactegenys Palepidophyma Palaeoxantusia Scincoidea Retinosaurus Scincoideus Slavoia Scincidae Axonoscincus Orthoscincus Pyrenasaurus? Other scincomorphs Apsgnathus Calanguban Chromatogenys Dakotaseps Kleskunsaurus Lonchisaurus Monocnemodon Pachygenys Saurillodon Saurillus Sciroseps Webbsaurus †Paramacellodidae Atokasaurus? Becklesius Mimobecklesisaurus Paramacellodus Parasaurillus? Pseudosaurillus? Sharovisaurus
Anguimorpha Basal anguimorphs Chometokadmon Eolacerta Paramacellodus Paravaranus? Yabeinosaurus? †Mosasauroidea? †Aigialosauridae †Mosasauridae Neoanguimorpha Carusioidea Carusia Xenosauridae Entomophontes Exostinus Restes Anguidae Odaxosaurus Anguinae 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 Aiolosaurus Colpodontosaurus Dorsetisaurus Eosaniwa Palaeovaranus Parasaniwa Parviderma Proplatynotia Saniwides Telmasaurus Shinisauria? Bahndwivici Dalinghosaurus Merkurosaurus Provaranosaurus Goannasauria Basal Goannasaurians Asprosaurus Chianghsia Estesia Eurheloderma Gobiderma Lowesaurus Morohasaurus Palaeosaniwa Paraderma Primaderma Varanoidea Lanthanotidae Cherminotus Varanidae Ovoo Saniwa Archaeovaranus Other platynotans / varanoids Arcanosaurus? Cemeterius Dryadissector
Ophidia Coniophis Diablophis Dinilysia? Eophis Lapparentophis Najash? Parviraptor Portugalophis Tetrapodophis See Serpentes (snakes)
Indeterminate squamates Costasaurus Lamiasaura Oculudentavis? Schillerosaurus

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