Lizards evolved from dinosaurs during the Permian period., Pterosaurs, reptiles with wings, evolved from dinosaurs., Dinosaurs dominated the earth until the Permian-Triassic extinction., and Dinosaurs and pterosaurs evolved from archosaurs
The common ancestor to all lizards was similar to the tuatara (Sphenodon), the only living representative of order Sphenodontida and sister group to the squamates. The tuatara is lizardlike in overall appearance; however, it differs from squamates in important ways. Male tuataras have no paired copulatory organ; they have saclike structures from which the paired hemipenes of squamates were likely derived. In addition, the tuatara does not have a movable quadrate bone in the jaw; this characteristic is present in all squamates.