title: A fossil Diploglossus (Squamata, Anguidae) lizard from Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre Islands (Guadeloupe, French West Indies).
abstract: Today, Diploglossine lizards (Anguidae) are common on the Greater Antillean Islands (West Indies), where they are represented by many endemic species. However these lizards are very rare on the Lesser Antillean Islands, where they are only represented by a single species, the Montserrat galliwasp (Diploglossus montisserrati). Here, we show that diploglossine lizards were present in the past on other Lesser Antillean islands, by reporting the discovery of Anguidae fossil remains in two Amerindian archaeological deposits and in a modern deposit. These remains are compared to skeletons of extant diploglossine lizards, including D. montisserrati, using X-ray microtomography of the type specimen of this critically endangered lizard. We also conducted a histological study of the osteoderms in order to estimate the putative age of the specimen. Our results show that the fossil specimens correspond to a member of the Diploglossus genus presenting strong similarities, but also minor morphological differences with D. montisserrati, although we postulate that these differences are not sufficient to warrant the description of a new species. These specimens, identified as Diploglossus sp., provide a new comparison point for the study of fossil diploglossine lizards and reflect the historical 17(th) century mentions of anguid lizards, which had not been observed since.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire "Archéozoologie et Archéobotanique: Sociétés, Pratiques et Environnements" - UMR 7209 - CNRS, MNHN - Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle - Sorbonne Universités, 55 rue Buffon, CP 56, 75005 Paris, France.|Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité - UMR 7205 - CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, EPHE- Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle - Sorbonne Universités, 57 rue Cuvier, CP 30, 75005, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Corentin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bochaton
authors.affiliation: Institut de Paléoprimatologie et de Paléontologie Humaine - UMR 7262 - CNRS, Université de Poitiers, UFR SFA - Bât. B35 - 06 rue Michel Brunet - TSA 51106, F-86073 Poitiers, France.
authors.forename: Renaud
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Boistel
authors.affiliation: Institut National de Recherche en Archéologie préventive (INRAP) Route de Dolé, Maison Lacascade 97113, Gourbeyre, Guadeloupe.
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Casagrande
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire "Archéozoologie et Archéobotanique: Sociétés, Pratiques et Environnements" - UMR 7209 - CNRS, MNHN - Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle - Sorbonne Universités, 55 rue Buffon, CP 56, 75005 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grouard
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire "Archéozoologie et Archéobotanique: Sociétés, Pratiques et Environnements" - UMR 7209 - CNRS, MNHN - Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle - Sorbonne Universités, 55 rue Buffon, CP 56, 75005 Paris, France.|Laboratoire "Histoire naturelle de l'Homme préhistorique » - UMR 7194- CNRS, MNHN - Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle - Sorbonne Universités, 75013 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Salvador
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bailon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005580:Fossils; D008116:Lizards / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000145:classification*; D014900:West Indies