There are four main groups of reptiles, known as crocodilians, squamates, tuataras and turtles. Crocodilians are large reptiles including alligators, crocodiles, gharials and caimans. Squamates are lizards, snakes and lizard worms. A worm lizard is an underground burrowing reptile that resembles an earthworm, a legless lizard. Tuataras are a group of reptiles that resemble lizards but are different from squamates because their skulls are not articulated. Turtles are the oldest reptiles alive today. They have changed very little since their appearance 220 million years ago. The first turtle appeared 220 million years ago. (Laura Klappenbach) Although not a reptile, Gephyrostegus bohemicus is the starting point of reptile evolution (Jaeckel 1902). It was a tetrapod (four-legged animal) resembling a Late Carboniferous lizard, or reptilomorph (clade (group consisting of one ancestor) containing amniotes and tetrapods which share a common ancestor with amniotes rather than 'with amphibians), from Nyran in the Czech Republic. . Given that some reptile fossils, like Westlothiana, are older than Gephyrostegus, it is obvious that we have not yet found the oldest gephyrostegid…. thought that reptiles originated as tiny tetrapods (Carroll 1970). He then discovered he was right. Cephalerpeton, the most primitive reptile, was small in size compared to this Gephyrostegus specimen. Shortly after a very first sister of Cephalerpeton, the members of Reptilia divided into two groups represented in their bases by Westlothiana and Cephalerpeton. New Lepidosauromorpha are those that share a more recent common ancestor with living lizards, Lepidosauria, than with Archosauria (Gauthier 1986). The most recent Arch...... middle of paper ......tats. Many reptiles have specially adapted to life in certain areas that are disappearing at a frightening rate – for example the rainforests of the tropics and much of the shrublands of Europe. Although governments are now more aware of the situation and have agreed to help some critically endangered species, too little may have been done too late. (Colin McCarthy) After researching so many things I didn't even know about reptiles, I think I would love to be a reptile rather than an amphibian. Reptiles were able to adapt to land while amphibians can barely stay away from water for long periods of time. After all these years, reptiles have evolved to modern qualities and continue to evolve to fit in. This article is important for people who want to learn some history about reptiles. It also indicates what changes occurred in reptiles during their evolution..