Chamaeleonidae

Chamaeleonidae View in CoL View at ENA ( Fig. 43C, D View Figure 43 )

In Chamaeleo chamaeleon , the dentary is stocky and presents a moderately wide mandibular symphysis ( Fig. 43C View Figure 43 ), which is almost vertical (it has only a low inclination of less than 25° in anteroposterior direction). The Meckelian fossa and the subdental table are similar to the ones of Laudakia stellio , but the anterior-half of the former opens in the ventral direction ( Fig. 43C View Figure 43 ). The posterior end of the intramandibular septum is visible in the second-half of the tooth row, between the 14 th and the last tooth position ( Fig. 43C View Figure 43 ). Teeth are acrodont and are morphologically similar to the acrodont ones of Laudakia stellio . However, they differ from them in being well spaced and carried on the dorsal margin of the bone (not expanding on the medial surface). In articulated specimens, they clearly continue posteriorly to the anterior margin of the coronoid. Inferior and superior processes are pointed and have roughly the same width, even though the inferior one can be either as long as, or longer than, the other one. In posterior view, a large recess, deeply developed inside the dentary, is visible between the posterior processes ( Fig. 43C View Figure 43 ). As in Laudakia stellio , the ventral margin of the bone is slightly convex in medial view and slightly expanded in the medial direction. Interdental grooves are present on the lateral surface ( Fig. 43D View Figure 43 ). The maximum length of the alveolar shelf varies from 15 mm to 18 mm, whereas the number of tooth positions ranges from 17 to 21. The number of mental foramina can be three, four or five.