gecko

Gekkonidae (the common geckos) is the largest family of geckos, containing over 950 described species in 64 genera. The Gekkonidae contain many of the most widespread gecko species, including house geckos (Hemidactylus), the tokay gecko (Gekko), day geckos (Phelsuma), the mourning gecko (Lepidodactylus), and dtellas (Gehyra). Gekkonid geckos occur globally and are particularly diverse in tropical areas. The genus Hemidactylus is one of the most species-rich and widely distributed of all reptile genera. Fossils The family Gekkonidae is a member of the infraorder Gekkota, which seems to have first emerged during the Jurassic period (201-145 million years ago). Eichstaettisaurus schroederi is recognized as one of the earliest examples of an ancestral gecko species. Members of the genus Eichstaettisaurus display morphological adaptations associated with climbing. Eichstaettisaurus has been ranked as a stem gekkotan, but its true taxonomic rank is unclear. The species Hoburogekko suchanovi and Gobekko cretacicus, dated to the Albian-Aptian ages (121-100 million years ago) ages of the Cretaceous period, are unquestionably members of Gekkota. They are thought to be members of the Gekkonidae, as well, but their taxonomic rank is uncertain due to the incompleteness of the fossil remains.