Artículos de revistas
Comparative Cranial Osteology of Fossorial Lizards From the Tribe Gymnophthalmini (Squamata, Gymnophthalmidae)
Date
2010Registration in:
JOURNAL OF MORPHOLOGY, v.271, n.11, p.1352-1365, 2010
0362-2525
10.1002/jmor.10878
Author
ROSCITO, Juliana G.
RODRIGUES, Miguel T.
Institutions
Abstract
Squamates (lizards, snakes and amphisbaenians) are represented by a large number of species distributed among a wide variety of habitats. Changes in body plan related to a fossorial habit are a frequent trend within the group and many morphological adaptations to this particular lifestyle evolved convergently in nonrelated species, reflecting adaptations to a similar habitat. The fossorial lifestyle requires an optimal morphological organization for an effective use of the available resources. Skeleton arrangement in fossorial squamates reflects adaptations to the burrowing activity, and different degrees of fossoriality can be inferred through an analysis of skull morphology. Here, we provide a detailed description of the skull morphology of three fossorial gymnophthalmid species: Calyptommatus nicterus, Scriptosaura catimbau, and Nothobachia ablephara. J. Morphol. 271: 1352-1365, 2010. (C) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.