Reptiles
Reptiles are animals in the (Linnaean) class Reptilia characterized by breathing air, a "cold-blooded" (poikilothermic) metabolism, laying tough-shelled amniotic eggs (or retaining the same membrane system in species with live birth), and skin with scales or scutes. They are tetrapods (either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors) and lay amniotic eggs, in which the embryo is surrounded by a membrane called the amnion. Modern reptiles inhabit every continent with the exception of Antarctica, and four living orders are currently recognized:
- Crocodilia (crocodiles, gavials, caimans, and alligators): 23 species
- Sphenodontia (tuataras from New Zealand): 2 species
- Squamata (lizards, snakes, and worm lizards): approximately 7,900 species
- Testudines (turtles and tortoises): approximately 300 species
The majority of reptile species are oviparous (egg-laying), although certain species of squamates are capable of giving live birth. This is achieved by either ovoviviparity (egg retention) or viviparity (birth of offspring without the development of calcified eggs). Many of the viviparous species feed their fetuses through various forms of placenta analogous to those of mammals, with some providing initial care for their hatchlings. Extant reptiles range in size from a tiny gecko, Sphaerodactylus ariasae, that grows to only 1.6 cm (0.6 in) to the saltwater crocodile, Crocodylus porosus, that may reach 6 m in length and weigh over 1,000 kg. The science dealing with reptiles is called herpetology.[1]
Origin
The origin of the reptiles lies about 320–310 million years ago, in the steaming swamps of the late Carboniferous period, when the first reptiles evolved from advanced reptiliomorph labyrinthodonts. The oldest trace of reptiles is a series of footprints from the fossil strata of Nova Scotia, dated to 315 million years ago. The tracks are attributed to Hylonomus, the oldest known reptile in the biological sense of the word. It was a small, lizard-like animal, about 20 to 30 cm (8–12 in) long, with numerous sharp teeth indicating an insectivorous diet. Other examples include Westlothiana (for the moment considered to be more closely related to amphibians than to amniotes) and Paleothyris, both of similar build and presumably similar habit. One of the best known early reptiles is Mesosaurus, a genus from the early Permian that had returned to water, feeding on fish. The earliest reptiles were largely overshadowed by bigger labyrinthodont amphibians such as Cochleosaurus, and remained a small, inconspicuous part of the fauna until after the small ice age at the end of the Carboniferous.[2]
