Re: looking for a primitive varanid

[Danvarner@aol.com]

In a message dated 1/20/2005 5:20:44 PM Eastern  Standard Time, 
davidrpeters@earthlink.net writes:

<< Mosasaurs and  their predecessors would seem to be derived from 
Varanus-types, because they  have legs, but Varanus apparently has fewer and 
looser bone 
connections in the  skull. >>

I'm way behind in this stuff, but I  believe varanids are out of the picture 
as far as mosasaurs are concerned.  Hopefully someone has something more 
recent, but these two refs are at least a  start.

http://www2.nature.nps.gov/geology/paleontology//pub/grd2/gsa07.htm

http://www.vertpaleo.org/jvp/15-516-531.html