Dataset for Ecomorphological diversification of squamates in the Cretaceous

Squamates (lizards and snakes) are highly successful modern vertebrates,
with over 10,000 species. Squamates have a long history, dating back to at
least 240 million years ago (Ma), and showing increasing species richness
in the Late Cretaceous (84 Ma) and early Paleogene (66–55 Ma). We confirm
that the major expansion of dietary functional morphology happened before
these diversifications, in the mid Cretaceous, 110–90 Ma. Until that time,
squamates had relatively uniform tooth types, which then diversified
substantially and ecomorphospace expanded to modern levels. This coincides
with the Cretaceous Terrestrial Revolution, when angiosperms began to take
over terrestrial ecosystems, providing new roles for plant-eating and
pollinating insects, which were in turn new sources of food for
herbivorous and insectivorous squamates. There was also an early Late
Cretaceous (95–90 Ma) rise in jaw size disparity, driven by the
diversification of marine squamates, particularly early mosasaurs. These
events established modern levels of squamate feeding ecomorphology before
the major steps in species diversification, confirming decoupling of
diversity and disparity. In fact, squamate feeding ecomorphospace had been
partially explored in the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous, and jaw
innovation in Late Cretaceous squamates involved expansions at the
extremes of morphospace.