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 : 864

Chamaeleonidae ( Fig. 24C–E )

Vomers of Chamaeleo chamaeleon are fused in an unpaired, laminar and slender bone, which is subrectangular in shape and can be pierced by foramina. The notch of the vomeronasal fenestra is wide but shallow ( Fig. 24C, D ). Posteriorly to it, the lateral margins of the vomer are straight. The anterior end is rounded in ventral view and displays the concave articulation surface with the maxilla anteriorly. The posterior end is forked, provided with either two divergent and pointed posterior projections separated by a wide V-shaped notch ( Fig. 24E ) or two laminar tabs with a wavy posterior margin and a small U-shaped notch between them ( Fig. 24C, D ). Its ventral surface is distinctly concave, whereas the dorsal one is convex.

The medial margin of the vomeronasal fenestra is marked by a lateral notch on the anterior-half of the bone.

Figures

Figure 24. Vomers. A, Laudakia stellio (HUJ.OST-Z-5), articulated vomers in ventral view. B, Laudakia stellio (HUJ.OST- Z-424), right vomer in dorsal view. C–D, Chamaeleo chamaeleon (NHMW 611), vomer in dorsal (C) and ventral (D) views. E, Chamaeleo chamaeleon (NHMW 721), articulated vomers in ventral view. F–G, Ac. erythrurus (UAM.R.ACVII), right vomer in dorsal (F) and ventral (G) views. H–I, Lacerta bilineata (MDHC 381), right vomer in dorsal (H) and ventral (I) views. J–K, Ab. kitaibelii (MDHC 239), fused vomers in dorsal (J) and ventral (K) views. L–M, Chalcides ocellatus (MDHC 250), fused vomers in dorsal (L) and ventral (M) views. N–O, Ophiomorus punctatissimus (MDHC 427), left vomer in dorsal (N) and ventral (O) views. P–Q, Tr. aurata (MDHC 280), left vomer in dorsal (P) and ventral (Q) views. R–S, Anguis gr. An. fragilis (MDHC 102), left vomer in dorsal (R) and ventral (S) views. T, Pseudopus apodus (MDHC 215), left vomer in dorsal view (the specimen is broken roughly at midlength).Abbreviations: asv, articulation surface with the vomerine process of the palatine; lg, lacrimal groove; nvf, notch of the vomeronasal fenestra; pp, posterior process. Scale bars = 1 mm.