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Glite Dictionary
Iguania

Iguania

9.9
A group of lizards like iguanas, anoles, and chameleons that often live in trees
  • noun
  • /ɪˈɡwɑːniə/
  • Specialized
: iguánidos
  • Researchers are fascinated by the diversity found within Iguania, which includes iguanas and chameleons.

Examples

  • Sometime between 30 million and 60 million years after the split between squamates and rhynchocephalians, the squamates themselves split into two major groups, Iguania and Scleroglossa.

    Academic text (2006)

  • Scientists study Iguania to learn more about lizard evolution and behavior.

  • The Iguania group includes many colorful lizards that inhabit rainforests.

Surface Forms

Iguania singular
Iguanias plural

Morphology

Iguania = iguana (semi-transparent) = iguana + ia

Formed from 'iguana' + the taxonomic suffix '-ia'; the morphological relation is clear but the suffix is specialized and the clade includes related lizards beyond just iguanas, which may not be obvious to learners.

Etymology

The word Iguania comes from iguana, which itself comes from a Taíno word from the Caribbean meaning 'lizard', plus the ending -ia that makes a name for a group. So Iguania is the name for the group of lizards that includes iguanas, anoles and chameleons.