Lizards are a diverse reptile group with an ancient and global evolutionary history. Fossil lizards first appeared in North America during the Mesozoic. Many lizard lineages have inhabited North America throughout geologic time, including several lineages that are extinct, others that no longer occur on the continent, and many groups that are still there today. Lizards are currently found in a diverse range of habitats and in regions across the continent, including islands and human‐modified habitats. The modern lizard biota of North America contains diverse biogeographic and phylogenetic components along with the evolution of many distinctive behaviours, morphologies, and ecologies, including the evolution of venom, repeated limb loss, and ecological specialisations. Some lizards have been introduced to North America from elsewhere in the world or the continent, posing a potential problem for native biodiversity. Key Concepts North America contains an astounding diversity of lizards both in the modern biota and through geologic time. Although many fossil lizards are documented, there is still a lot to learn from the fossil record. Historic extirpations and extinctions of lizards are known and conservation efforts are needed to preserve lizard biodiversity. Biogeographic scenarios of lizards in North America are often disputed but are informed by fossil and molecular evidence. North American lizards have a diverse set of behavioural, morphological and ecological characteristics.
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