Full reference: M. A. Norell and K. Gao. 1997. Braincase and phylogenetic relationships of Estesia mongoliensis from the Late Cretaceous of the Gobi Desert and the recognition of a new clade of lizards. American Museum Novitates 3211:1-25
Parent taxon: Anguimorpha according to S. M. Hamilton et al. 2023
See also Gao and Norell 2000, Norell and Gao 1997, Nydam 2000, Nydam 2002, Park et al. 2015 and Yi and Norell 2013
Sister taxa: Anguiformes, Barlochersaurus, Carusioidea, Chometokadmon, Entomophontes, Hodzhakuliidae, Merkurosaurus, Necrosauridae, Palaeovaranidae, Paravaranidae, Restes, Varaniformes, Xenosauridae
Subtaxa: Asprosaurus Chianghsia Estesia Eurheloderma Gobiderma Lowesaurus Morohasaurus Palaeosaniwa Paraderma Primaderma
Ecology:
Distribution:
• Oligocene of United States (2: Colorado, Nebraska collections)
• Eocene to Miocene of France (1)
• Eocene of France (4)
• Paleocene of Canada (1: Alberta)
• Cretaceous of Canada (23: Alberta, Saskatchewan), China (1), Japan (1), Mexico (2), Mongolia (7), South Korea (1), United States (17: Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming)
Total: 60 collections including 66 occurrences