Editing Diapsid (section)

==Characteristics==
[[File:Skull diapsida 1.svg|thumb|left|Diagram of the diapsid skull with temporal openings, unlike in [[Anapsida|anapsids]]]]

The name Diapsida means "two arches", and diapsids are traditionally classified based on their two ancestral skull openings ([[temporal fenestra]]e) posteriorly above and below the eye. This arrangement allows for the attachment of larger, stronger [[jaw muscles]], and enables the jaw to open more widely. A more obscure ancestral characteristic is a relatively long lower arm bone (the [[radius (bone)|radius]]) compared to the upper arm bone ([[humerus]]).

Basal non-saurian neodiaspids were ancestrally lizard-like, but basal non-saurian neodiapsids include aquatic/amphibious taxa (''[[Claudiosaurus]]'' and some [[Tangasauridae|tangasaurids]])<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Nuñez Demarco |first1=Pablo |last2=Meneghel |first2=Melitta |last3=Laurin |first3=Michel |last4=Piñeiro |first4=Graciela |date=2018-07-27 |title=Was Mesosaurus a Fully Aquatic Reptile? |journal=Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |volume=6 |pages=109 |doi=10.3389/fevo.2018.00109 |issn=2296-701X |doi-access=free |hdl-access=free |hdl=20.500.12008/30631}}</ref> the [[gliding lizard]]-like [[Weigeltisauridae]],<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Pritchard |first1=Adam C. |last2=Sues |first2=Hans-Dieter |last3=Scott |first3=Diane |last4=Reisz |first4=Robert R. |date=2021-05-20 |title=Osteology, relationships and functional morphology of Weigeltisaurus jaekeli (Diapsida, Weigeltisauridae) based on a complete skeleton from the Upper Permian Kupferschiefer of Germany |journal=PeerJ |language=en |volume=9 |pages=e11413 |doi=10.7717/peerj.11413 |issn=2167-8359 |pmc=8141288 |pmid=34055483 |doi-access=free}}</ref> as well as the Triassic chameleon-like [[Drepanosaur|drepanosaurs]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Pritchard |first1=Adam C. |last2=Nesbitt |first2=Sterling J. |date=October 2017 |title=A bird-like skull in a Triassic diapsid reptile increases heterogeneity of the morphological and phylogenetic radiation of Diapsida |journal=Royal Society Open Science |language=en |volume=4 |issue=10 |pages=170499 |bibcode=2017RSOS....470499P |doi=10.1098/rsos.170499 |issn=2054-5703 |pmc=5666248 |pmid=29134065}}</ref>