Leiolopisma mauritiana
Encyclopedia
Leiolopisma mauritiana also known as "Didosaurus maurtianus," was a large (the largest known)species of skink
(family
Scincidae). It was found only in Mauritius
, but became extinct around 1600 probably due to introduced predators. It may have been somewhat fossorial
in nature. This is speculative and based on a reconstruction. The Mauritianus giant skink is known from an incomplete skeleton. Didosaurus mauritianus (underlined), the Mauritian Giant Skink, became extinct by 1650. Only a semi - complete specimen is known in addition to some odd bones. (Supposedly, a former director of the Mauritian Institute threw away specimens including some bones of Didosaurus). The remaining skeleton is missing the feet and digits, thus making it impossible for a SENI biometric analysis per se {Schnirel. 2004}. The semi - complete skeleton does have a skull shaped similar to a blue-tongue skink (Genus: Tiliqua). The restoration undertaken by the (Species in Bronze Project), if accurate, gives a SENI value of .06 which would indicate that Didosaurus could have been fossorial or saxicolous in lifestyle. This is further linked by the fact that the closest living relative of Didosaurus (as mentioned by the restorers) is the Round Island Skink: Leiolopisma telfeirii (underlined). The Round Island Skink also gives a SENI value of .06. The Round Island Skink is a species capable of caudal autotomy. This skink is often seen darting in the underbrush or between rocks.
An undescribed extinct Leiolopisma from Réunion
was closely related, whereas the Round Island skink
is a more distantly related surviving species from Mauritius.(Austin & Arnold 2006)
Skink
Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae. Together with several other lizard families, including Lacertidae , they comprise the superfamily or infraorder Scincomorpha...
(family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Scincidae). It was found only in Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
, but became extinct around 1600 probably due to introduced predators. It may have been somewhat fossorial
Fossorial
A fossorial organism is one that is adapted to digging and life underground such as the badger, the naked mole rat, and the mole salamanders Ambystomatidae...
in nature. This is speculative and based on a reconstruction. The Mauritianus giant skink is known from an incomplete skeleton. Didosaurus mauritianus (underlined), the Mauritian Giant Skink, became extinct by 1650. Only a semi - complete specimen is known in addition to some odd bones. (Supposedly, a former director of the Mauritian Institute threw away specimens including some bones of Didosaurus). The remaining skeleton is missing the feet and digits, thus making it impossible for a SENI biometric analysis per se {Schnirel. 2004}. The semi - complete skeleton does have a skull shaped similar to a blue-tongue skink (Genus: Tiliqua). The restoration undertaken by the (Species in Bronze Project), if accurate, gives a SENI value of .06 which would indicate that Didosaurus could have been fossorial or saxicolous in lifestyle. This is further linked by the fact that the closest living relative of Didosaurus (as mentioned by the restorers) is the Round Island Skink: Leiolopisma telfeirii (underlined). The Round Island Skink also gives a SENI value of .06. The Round Island Skink is a species capable of caudal autotomy. This skink is often seen darting in the underbrush or between rocks.
An undescribed extinct Leiolopisma from Réunion
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
was closely related, whereas the Round Island skink
Round Island skink
The Round Island skink or Telfair's skink , is a species of skink endemic to Round Island . Other members of the genus Leiolopisma occur on New Caledonia and New Zealand but the Round Island skink is closely related to the two extinct Mascarenes taxa, L. mauritiana from Mauritius and L. ceciliae...
is a more distantly related surviving species from Mauritius.(Austin & Arnold 2006)
External links
- Painting of L. mauritiana and Red RailRed RailThe Red Rail or Red Hen of Mauritius, Aphanapteryx bonasia, is an extinct rail. It was only found on the island of Mauritius. The Red Rail, which today is only known from a large number of bones, some descriptions and a handful of drawings and paintings, was a flightless bird, somewhat larger than...
by Julian Hume.
- www.extinct species.com Bones to Bronze - extinct species of the Mascarenes. Pangolin editions, Cloucestershire, England.