Huehuecuetzpalli

Huehuecuetzpalli (translating to "the ancient lizard" in Nahuatl) is an extinct genus of lizard from the Early Cretaceous (late Albian) Tlayúa Formation, a Lagerstätte near Tepexi de Rodríguez, Central Mexico. One species, H. mixtecus, is known. Although it is not the oldest known lizard, Huehuecuetzpalli may be amongst the most basal members of Squamata (the group that includes lizards and snakes), and has been variously considered a close relative of Bavarisaurus, Bellairsia, Marmoretta and Oculudentavis, or as the most basal iguanomorphan. Its basal position makes it an important taxon in u