Prehistoric Period

Although this particular species of broad-headed skink (Plestiodon laticeps) may not have looked exactly like its contemporary counterpart, it is part of a much older family of lizards that has persisted since ancient times.

Approximately 85 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous era, the oldest fossil records were found, tracing the evolutionary ancestry of skinks back millions of years. The presence of these fossils provides evidence of skink-like lizards that are closely related to modern-day skinks.

Reptiles like skinks evolved to thrive in ancient times when weather and topography were quite different from what we see now.

Skinks have evolved to fill various ecological niches and adapt to changing environments, according to fossil data. The broad-headed skink may not have fossils of its exact predecessors, but the larger skink family tree does.

The group of skinks has evolved into many different species throughout the millennia, with each one adjusting to a different set of circumstances. The progenitors of the broad-headed skink probably relied on these adaptations to help them survive and thrive through different geological periods, temperature changes, and the development of other species in their environments.

The evolutionary success of skinks is due to their adaptability to many environments, which enables them to live in grasslands as well as forests. Fossils reveal how skinks have changed and developed over the ages by revealing morphological and ecological changes that have taken place within this family of reptiles.

The evolutionary tree of skinks, particularly that of the broad-headed skink, provide light on the ways in which reptiles have adapted to changing Earth's climate.

Scientists learn a lot about the mechanisms that have molded Earth's biodiversity over millions of years by looking at fossils and comparing them to present species.