Lacertoidea is a branch of Squamata containing Lacertidae, Teiidae, Gymnophthalmidae and amphisbaenians. It groups lineages by common ancestry, despite striking differences in their visible bodies. In particular, a burrowing, nearly limbless amphisbaenian can be more closely related to a normally limbed member of Lacertidae than superficial resemblance to a snake suggests.[ref]
Integrated Analyses Resolve Conflicts over Squamate Reptile Phylogeny and Reveal Unexpected Placements for Fossil Taxa by Tod W. Reeder and others. Results, combined-data likelihood analysis and definition of Lacertoidea
This grouping is a useful test of convergent evolution. Imagine recording only whether an animal has external legs: many otherwise unrelated burrowing forms would receive the same score. Recording hundreds of anatomical characters and comparing many genes supplies additional, partly independent evidence. The 2015 integrated analysis used 691 morphological characters and 46 genes, and included fossils as well as living species. Its combined analyses recovered Lacertoidea, while some deeper relationships depended on uncertain placements of fossil taxa.[ref]
Integrated Analyses Resolve Conflicts over Squamate Reptile Phylogeny and Reveal Unexpected Placements for Fossil Taxa by Tod W. Reeder and others. Abstract, Results and Figure1; effects of rogue fossil taxa
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