Lacertidae

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 : 889

Lacertidae ( Figs 30 , 31A–E , 41I, J )

As in gekkotans ( Villa et al., 2018a), the otooccipital of lacertids composes a third of the occipital condyle and the number of hypoglossal foramina is variable (see the Supporting Information 3). The paroccipital process is short in juveniles, but well developed in adults of all species, except for Al. fitzingeri , Al. marchi , Al. moreoticus , I. cyreni , I. monticola cantabrica , Ophisops elegans , Po. bocagei , Po. carbonelli , Po. filfolensis , Po. hispanicus , Po. melisellensis , Po. muralis , Po. tauricus , Po. tiliguerta , Po. waglerianus , Ps. hispanicus and Z. vivipara , in which it remains rather short ( Figs 31A– E , 41I ). The process is slightly dorsoventrally enlarged by its distal end.

Figures

Figure 30. Braincases. A–E, Ac. erythrurus (UAM.R.ACVII), braincase in anterior (A), right lateral (B), posterior (C), dorsal (D) and ventral (E) views. F–J, Lacerta bilineata (MDHC 15), braincase in anterior (F), right lateral (G), posterior (H), dorsal (I) and ventral (J) views. The parasphenoid rostrum is broken in both specimens. Abbreviations: ap, alar process; asc, anterior semicircular canal; b, basioccipital; bp, basipterygoid process; ca, crista alaris; fma, foramen magnum; fo, fenestra ovalis; glhv, groove of the lateral head vein; hsc, horizontal semicircular canal; o, otooccipital; oc, occipital condyle; p, prootic; pap, paroccipital process; povc, posterior opening of the Vidian canal; rvj, recessus vena jugularis; sp, sphenoid; su, supraoccipital; tc, trabecula cranii. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figure 31. Braincases (continued). A–E, Po. bocagei (UAM.R.PB48), braincase in anterior (A), left lateral (B), posterior (C), dorsal (D) and ventral (E) views. F–J, Ab. kitaibelii (MDHC 239), braincase in anterior (F), right lateral (G), posterior (H), dorsal (I) and ventral (J) views. Abbreviations: aovc, anterior opening of the Vidian canal; cc, cochlear cavity; cp, crista prootica; ip, incisura prootica; pp, posterior process of the prootic; psc, posterior semicircular canal; vf, vagus foramen. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figure 41. Otooccipitals. A–D, Laudakia stellio (MDHC 245), left otooccipital in anterior (A), medial (B), lateral (C) and posterior (D) views. E–G, Chamaeleo chamaeleon (HUJ.OST-Z-425), right otooccipital in anterior (E), lateral (F) and posterior (G) views (the distal portion of the paroccipital process is broken). H, Chamaeleo chamaeleon (MNHN 2002-24), right otooccipital articulated with the basioccipital in posterior view. I–J, Po. muralis (MDHC 312), right otooccipital in anterior (I) and medial (J) views. K–L, Tr. aurata (MDHC 280), right otooccipital in anterior (K) and medial (L) views. M–N, Anguis gr. An. fragilis (MDHC 49), left otooccipital in anterior (M) and medial (N) views. Abbreviations: amr, ampullary recess; cac, cavum capsularis; coc, cochlear cavity; hf, hypoglossal foramen; hsc, horizontal semicircular canal; lrst, lateral opening of the recessus scalae tympani; oc, occipital condyle; pop, paroccipital process; psc, posterior semicircular canal; ur, utricular recess; vf, vagus foramen. Scale bars = 1 mm.