thank you! i loved reading this! its so amazing the journey our ancestors made :)
you said that "The benefits are probably obvious" about live birth, im curious also about the trade off? when is it better the lay eggs? thanks :)
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This is where that skink comes into play, the conditions changed rapidly within the species environment so the trade-offs were balanced. In colder climates, it would have been safer to keep the egg inside ready for live birth, with access to the warmth but the trade-off of using more nutrients and energy from the mother.
Those in warmer climates get deposited as regular external eggs, so they're in a bit more danger but not likely to freeze, and saves the mum's resources for herself.
So it will likely depend within each species and environment they live in =)