Chamaeleonidae

Villa, Andrea & Delfino, Massimo, 2019, A comparative atlas of the skull osteology of European lizards (Reptilia: Squamata), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 187 (3), pp. 828-928 : 831

Chamaeleonidae ( Fig. 1D, E )

Chamaeleo chamaeleon (Linnaeus, 1758) has small, straight and slender nasals, with smooth dorsal and ventral surfaces. The articulation surface housing the ascending nasal process of the premaxilla runs along the two anteriormost-thirds of the straight medial margin of the bone ( Fig. 1D ). The anterior end displays a moderately wide, moderately long and pointed anteromedial process. The anterolateral process is not clearly recognizable, being represented only by a poorly developed expansion of the anterior corner of the lateral margin. The dorsal surface of the anterior end is covered by the articulation surface with the medial branch of the anterior dorsal process of the maxilla. The posterior end is pointed and the lateral margin is slightly wavy.

Figures

Figure 1. Nasals – A–B, Laudakia stellio (HUJ.OST-Z-424), right nasal in dorsal (A) and ventral (B) views. C, Laudakia stellio (MDHC 245), left nasal in ventral view. D–E, Chamaeleo chamaeleon (NHMW 611), right nasal in dorsal (D) and ventral (E) views. F–G, Ac. erythrurus (UAM.R.ACVII), left nasal in dorsal (F) and ventral (G) views. H–I, Al. nigropunctatus (MDHC 242), articulated nasals in dorsal (H) and ventral (I) views. J–K, Lacerta bilineata (MDHC 381), left nasal in dorsal (J) and ventral (K) views. L–M, Ophisops elegans (MDHC 281), right nasal in dorsal (L) and ventral (M) views. N–O, Chalcides chalcides (MDHC 398), right nasal in dorsal (N) and ventral (O) views. P, Chalcides ocellatus (MDHC 250), left nasal in ventral view. Q–R, Tr. aurata (MDHC 280), left nasal in dorsal (Q) and ventral (R) views. S–T, Anguis gr.An. fragilis (MDHC 221), left nasal in dorsal (S) and ventral (T) views. U–V, Pseudopus apodus (MDHC 214), right nasal in dorsal (U) and ventral (V) views. Abbreviations: alp, anterolateral process; amp, anteromedial process; asf, articulation surface with the frontal; asm, articulation surface with the maxilla; asp, articulation surface with the premaxilla; le, lateral expansion; pp, posterior process; r, ridge. Scale bars = 1 mm.