Chamaeleonidae
|
publication ID |
https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlz035 |
|
persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/9C298799-D244-5A3D-FF2D-FA852376AC57 |
|
treatment provided by |
Plazi |
|
scientific name |
Chamaeleonidae |
| status |
|
Chamaeleonidae View in CoL View at ENA ( Fig. 2E, F View Figure 2 )
The unpaired frontal of Chamaeleo chamaeleon differs substantially from the above-described morphology. The bone can be divided into a subpentagonal posterior portion and a subtriangular anterior one, of which the former is twice as long as the latter. The anterior portion is strongly sunken dorsally and inclined anteroventrally. It also ends anteriorly with a pointed medial process that inserts through the nasals. The development of the ornamentation on the dorsal surface is variable. A series of small, irregular tubercles runs along the midline of the bone for almost its entire length and is usually followed by a low ridge on the posterior end (except for NHMW 611 and 717, in which the tubercles reach the contact with the parietals; Fig. 2E View Figure 2 ). Only in MNHN 2002-24 do the tubercles continue posteriorly on the ridge. The rest of the dorsal surface is only slightly irregular (with an ornamentation made mostly by ossification rays) in MNHN 241 and 1942-103 and NHMW 611 ( Fig. 2E View Figure 2 ) and 721, but it has other tubercles in MNHN 2002-24 and NHMW 717. On the other hand, no tubercles on the midline and no ornamentation are present on the dorsal surface of MNHN 1887-875. All margins of the frontal are represented by slightly irregular sutures with small interdigitations; the one with the parietal is not straight and is wavy in ventral view. Cristae cranii are low as in Laudakia stellio ; in ventral view, they converge anteriorly, forming a V-shaped structure ( Fig. 2F View Figure 2 ). The dorsal surface of the bone expands laterally on each side of the structure, giving a subpentagonal shape to the posterior portion. The parietal foramen is present posteriorly to the structure and opens both on the dorsal and on the ventral surface of the bone. There are no anterior processes. The broad articulation surfaces with the parietal tabs are visible on the corners of the posterior end on the ventral surface ( Fig. 2F View Figure 2 ). Some specimens (e.g. NHMW 611; Fig. 2F View Figure 2 ) also display the articulation surfaces with the posterior process of the nasals on the same surface anteriorly on the sides of the medial process. The maximum length of the frontal is from 11 mm to 15 mm.
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.