biology

Mesoamericus

Mesoamericus is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Mesoamericus rather than just read about it. In short: Mesoamericus bilobatus, also known commonly as O'Shaughnessy's galliwasp, is a species of lizard in the family Diploglossidae. The species is native to Central America.

Key takeaways

Mesoamericus belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Mesoamericus to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Mesoamericus from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Mesoamericus bilobatus, also known commonly as O'Shaughnessy's galliwasp, is a species of lizard in the family Diploglossidae. The species is native to Central America.

Taxonomy A 2021 study found M. bilobatus to not belong to the genus Diploglossus (which is otherwise only found in South America and the Caribbean), but rather to belong to the monotypic genus Mesoamericus in the subfamily Siderolamprinae.

Geographic range M. bilobatus is found in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama.

Habitat The preferred natural habitat of M. bilobatus is forest, at altitudes of 2–1,360 m (6.6–4,461.9 ft).

Description M. bilobatus has sheathed claws, which Boulenger (1885) described as "claws nearly entirely concealed in a large compressed sheath formed of a larger supero-lateral and a smaller inferior scale".

Behavior M. bilobatus is diurnal, terrestrial, and semifossorial.

Reproduction M. bilobatus is oviparous.

References

Further reading Boulenger GA (1885). Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume II. Iguanidæ, Xenosauridæ, Zonuridæ, Anguidæ, Anniellidæ, Helodermatidæ, Varanidæ, Xantusiidæ, Teiidæ, Amphisbænidæ. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 497 pp. + Plates I–XXIV. (Diploglossus bilobatus, pp. 286–287). Lotzkat, Sebastian; Stadler, Leonhard; Carrizo, Arcadio; Hertz, Andreas; Köhler, Gunther (2010). "Notes on the easternmost population of Diploglossus bilobatus (Squamata: Anguidae) in Veraguas, Panama". Salamandra 46 (1): 59–62. O'Shaughnessy AWE (1874). "Description of a new Species of Lizard of the Genus Celestus ". Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Fourth Series 14: 257–258. (Celestus bilobatus, new species). Savage JM (2002). The Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica: A Herpetofauna between Two Continents, between Two Seas. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. xx + 945 pp. ISBN 0-226-73537-0.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Mesoamericus

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Mesoamericus claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Mesoamericus before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Mesoamericus ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Mesoamericus

In research: Mesoamericus appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Mesoamericus in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Mesoamericus is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Diploglossidae, IUCN Red List least concern species, Lizard stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Mesoamericus outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Mesoamericus in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Mesoamericus means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Mesoamericus out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Mesoamericus in simple terms?

Mesoamericus bilobatus, also known commonly as O'Shaughnessy's galliwasp, is a species of lizard in the family Diploglossidae. The species is native to Central America.

Why does Mesoamericus matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Mesoamericus?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Mesoamericus.