Researchers
say the giant extinction event that saw the end of the dinosaurs also killed
off most snakes and lizards - among them a newly discovered species named after
US President Barack Obama.
The
effect of the event on dinosaurs is well known, but the fates of smaller
creatures have been less certain.
Now,
a rich record of reptile fossils - including the new Obamadon
gracilis - suggests 83% of snake and lizard species became extinct at that
time.
The
study appears
in the journal PNAS.
In
it, researchers from Harvard and Yale universities in the US name eight more
lizard and snake species that are new to science.
Obamadon
gracilis was a tiny lizard that draws its name also from the Latin
"-odon" meaning tooth and "gracilis" meaning slender.
Lead
author of the study Nicholas Longrich, of Yale University, said there were no
political undertones in the choice of name.
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