When Do Lizards Appear and Radiate in the Fossil Record

Question

When do lizards appear and radiate in the fossil record?
A)Lizards appeared in the Permian and rapidly radiated to give rise to the dinosaurs that dominated the next time periods.
B)Lizards appeared in the Jurassic but did not radiate until the Cretaceous when dinosaurs were near the end of their reign.
C)Lizards appeared in the Jurassic as a branch of small dinosaurs and radiated rapidly in the Cretaceous.
D)Lizards appeared in the Cretaceous and rapidly radiated.
E)Snakes took to the surface in the Permian and gradual selection for limbs allowed lizards to radiate in the Triassic.

Accepted Answer

Lizards first appeared in the fossil record during the Jurassic period but did not experience significant radiation until the Cretaceous period, which was a time when dinosaurs were still dominant but nearing the end of their reign. This timing allowed lizards to fill various ecological niches.