Prehistoric Period

Carlia spp. skinks have a long and storied evolutionary history that begins millions of years ago, when these reptiles were members of a much older lizard family.

The Mesozoic Era, which began around 252 million years ago and ended about 66 million years ago, was probably when the first Carlia species appeared. During this time, several reptile lineages underwent diversification, with new lizard families emerging.

Disintegration of the supercontinent Pangaea started during the Mesozoic Era, causing landmasses to separate and eventually create new continents. A number of ecological niches were filled by the progenitors of Carlia spp. as a result of the shifting of continents.

During this time, the current Carlia spp. evolved features including their slim bodies, well-developed limbs, and diurnal habits in response to evolutionary forces.

Although there is no evidence of Carlia spp. in particular fossils, we may piece together their ancestry by looking at the larger picture of lizard evolution throughout the Mesozoic.

The progenitors of Carlia spp. likely participated in the remarkable range of morphologies and adaptations shown by fossils of ancient lizards from this period.

The contemporary Carlia spp. emerged as a result of increased genetic diversity and morphological adaptability over succeeding epochs, such as the Cenozoic Era (66 million years ago to the present).

This genus of skinks has evolved to adapt to a wide variety of habitats in the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia, and Australia.

Although there isn't a ton of evidence of Carlia spp. in the fossil record, their evolutionary tree goes all the way back lot the Mesozoic, which shows how well these skinks have done in adapting to different habitats over the years. Global lizard evolution is a complex web that includes the evolutionary history of Carlia spp.