爱德华·希区柯克(Edward Hitchcock)于1865年将这些骨头定名为Megadactylus。不幸的是这个名称早已被使用,而著名的古生物学家奥塞内尔·查利斯·马什(Othniel Charles Marsh)于1885年将之改名为近蜥龙。近蜥龙的化石在南非及中国亦有发现,支持这个时期的各大陆聚合成盘古大陆的理论,但这些地方发现的遗骸的分类却被受争议(可能是属于兀龙属)。另一个于加拿大新斯科舍省发现的化石亦有可能是近蜥龙,但却被未确实。
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