# Evolutionary bursts drive morphological novelty in the world’s largest skinks

*PRI Rank #18 · Topics and Trends in Most Cited Amphibian and Reptile Biology Papers, Class of 2026*

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/amphibian-and-reptile-biology/2026/rank-18*

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Rank | #18 |
| 18m citations | 14 |
| Journal | Current Biology |
| Year | 2024 |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.cub.2024.07.039 |
| Corresponding authors | Ian G. Brennan |
| Institution | Natural History Museum, United Kingdom |

**Ranking page:** [Topics and Trends in Most Cited Amphibian and Reptile Biology Papers, Class of 2026](https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/amphibian-and-reptile-biology/2026)

**Paper link:** [10.1016/j.cub.2024.07.039](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2024.07.039)

## Topics

Morphological diversity · evolutionary bursts · skinks · Tiliqua · Cyclodomorphus · adaptive radiation · phenotypic evolution · rate heterogeneity · Morphological diversity · Phylogenetic comparative methods · body size evolution · Limb reduction · clade diversification · Australian lizards · macroevolution

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Amphibian and Reptile Biology Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/amphibian-and-reptile-biology/2026. Accessed 2026-07-22.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
```