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Description
On Alter Earth (as well as our own) the Polyglyphanodontans were one of the most diverse Squamate groups of the Cretaceous. On Our Earth however, the Polys were just one of the many casualties of the K-PG mass extinction 65 million years ago. As the main trigger from this ecological disaster was absent on Alter Earth, these amazing lizards continued their march into the Cenozoic; indeed, they thrived. The hothouse conditions spurred on their evolutionary development, producing a whole host a novel and bizarre forms inhabiting all sorts of niches. These ranged from durophagous carnivores, large arboreal herbivores and even legless skink-like forms. The majority were fairly small and 'normal' looking lizards, albeit with large heads and powerful jaws. Most scientists that have spent any time on Alter Earth have immediately compared them to Teiids in appearance and behaviour, although Polys tend to lean more towards herbivory then the Teiids. Despite these apparent similarities, Polys have been proven to be the sister group of Inguania instead!

Vasilyanisaurus would not have been a remarkable animal while alive. It was roughly 30cm long as an adult and its diet consisted of tough, xeric shrubs and other vegetation typical of savannah-type ecosystems. An analogous lizard from Our Earth would probably be the Desert Iguanas of the southwestern USA. V. macrognathus, like many of its relatives, possessed a large head equipped with highly specialized teeth; in this case, vertical slicing blades similar to those of the Late Cretaceous Polglyphanodon or the Triassic Trilophosaurus. This lizard would have used these bizarre teeth, combined with its strong jaws, to slice through all but the very toughest of plant material. In terms of classification, V. macrognathus was a member of Hebesauridae; a successful lineage of mostly herbivorous forms that ranged between the Late Paleocene and the Late Miocene. During the Eocene, some species grew to large sizes comparable to the biggest Iguanids from Our Earth which would have dwarfed V. macrognathus. These forms would have had few predators, but the animal above was hunted by Dromaeosaurs, predatory Metatherians and Azhdarchoid Pterosaurs such as Aralodraco.

Description
On Alter Earth (as well as our own) the Polyglyphanodontans were one of the most diverse Squamate groups of the Cretaceous. On Our Earth however, the Polys were just one of the many casualties of the K-PG mass extinction 65 million years ago. As the main trigger from this ecological disaster was absent on Alter Earth, these amazing lizards continued their march into the Cenozoic; indeed, they thrived. The hothouse conditions spurred on their evolutionary development, producing a whole host a novel and bizarre forms inhabiting all sorts of niches. These ranged from durophagous carnivores, large arboreal herbivores and even legless skink-like forms. The majority were fairly small and 'normal' looking lizards, albeit with large heads and powerful jaws. Most scientists that have spent any time on Alter Earth have immediately compared them to Teiids in appearance and behaviour, although Polys tend to lean more towards herbivory then the Teiids. Despite these apparent similarities, Polys have been proven to be the sister group of Inguania instead!

Vasilyanisaurus would not have been a remarkable animal while alive. It was roughly 30cm long as an adult and its diet consisted of tough, xeric shrubs and other vegetation typical of savannah-type ecosystems. An analogous lizard from Our Earth would probably be the Desert Iguanas of the southwestern USA. V. macrognathus, like many of its relatives, possessed a large head equipped with highly specialized teeth; in this case, vertical slicing blades similar to those of the Late Cretaceous Polglyphanodon or the Triassic Trilophosaurus. This lizard would have used these bizarre teeth, combined with its strong jaws, to slice through all but the very toughest of plant material. In terms of classification, V. macrognathus was a member of Hebesauridae; a successful lineage of mostly herbivorous forms that ranged between the Late Paleocene and the Late Miocene. During the Eocene, some species grew to large sizes comparable to the biggest Iguanids from Our Earth which would have dwarfed V. macrognathus. These forms would have had few predators, but the animal above was hunted by Dromaeosaurs, predatory Metatherians and Azhdarchoid Pterosaurs such as Aralodraco.