Though the Jesus Lizards are well-known by the general public perhaps for the informal name or its odd ability to walk across water, research is limited as only a small sample of fossils are available to study.
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The relatives of the Babibasiliscus alxi are the incredible Jesus Lizard group, whose members are thriving today in the warm climate from the region between central Mexico and northern Colombia.
The 48-million-year-old fossil, recovered from the Bridger Formation in Wyoming, is the first description of a new species, named Babibasiliscus alxi by the author, and may represent the earliest clear member of the Jesus lizard group, Corytophanidae.
A team of scientists recently analyzed the fossilized remains of Jesus lizard that lived more than 49 million years ago.
“” “Given our current period of global climate fluctuation, looking to the fossil record offers an important opportunity to observe what is possible”, Conrad said”, and may give us an idea of what to expect from our dynamic Earth”.
Measuring two feet (60 cm) long, the lizard was likely active during the day and spent a lot of time in trees.
In a paper published this week in PLOS ONE, paleontologist Jack Conrad from the NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine describes an exciting new specimen of tropical casquehead lizard from Wyoming. The look must have terrified prey, which for this predatory lizard was ample.
These types of studies and discoveries suggest the ways in which different species migrated from one part of the earth to another and the reasons of their survival for so many years. Therefore, it seems that the “Babi” lizard had three sharp pointy ends on each of its teeth and extremely developed cheekbones, that provided the animal with strength to chew its prey. Thanks to super speed and specially-designed feet, the basilisk lizard can run on water… an ability that makes it deadly to insects, and has led people to call it the “Jesus Christ Lizard” reported by National Geographic.
Researchers say it had a length of around 2ft and had a ridge of bone on its skull that made it look raging (but would have provided shade for its eyes).
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The discovery of the fossil and of those similar to it provides scientists with more data that would explain the migration patterns that these ancient species have developed in order to survive the changes in climate.
