Anguidae
|
publication ID |
https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlz035 |
|
persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/9C298799-D259-5A21-FC87-FDD825EFAB9E |
|
treatment provided by |
Plazi |
|
scientific name |
Anguidae |
| status |
|
Anguidae View in CoL View at ENA ( Fig. 16S–V View Figure 16 )
The jugals of European anguids are slender, similar in this regard to those of scincids.The thin anterior process has a narrow and laminar anterior end and bears a poorly developed palatal process. No medial process is present in Anguis gr. An. fragilis ( Figs 16T View Figure 16 , 17C View Figure 17 ), but a small hint of it is visible in Pseudopus apodus ( Fig. 16V View Figure 16 ). The articulation surface with the maxilla is twisted in the ventral direction. The posterodorsal process is slender (but more robust than the anterior one) and has a rounded ( Anguis gr. An. fragilis ; Fig. 16S, T View Figure 16 ) or pointed ( Pseudopus apodus ; Fig. 16U, V View Figure 16 ) end. In Anguis gr. An. fragilis , it is slightly shorter than the anterior process, whereas in Pseudopus apodus it is slightly longer than the latter. The quadratojugal process is present and distinctly developed in Anguis gr. An. fragilis ( Fig. 16S, T View Figure 16 ), although it can be less marked in juveniles. Pseudopus apodus has a poorly developed (almost absent) quadratojugal process ( Fig. 16U, V View Figure 16 ). As in scincids, the row of foramina is replaced by a single foramen, opening by the meeting point of the processes. The lateral surface is smooth in Anguis gr. An. fragilis ( Fig. 16S View Figure 16 ), but it presents an ornamentation made up by mild rugosities in Pseudopus apodus ( Fig. 16U View Figure 16 ).
POSTFRONTAL AND POSTORBITAL
Postfrontal and postorbital ( Fig. 19 View Figure 19 ) are paired bones that have a high variation in morphology throughout the groups of squamates here considered. They can be separate during the entire life of the animal, fuse during ontogeny or be present as a single element called postorbitofrontal. The latter can originate from early fusion of postfrontal and postorbital, but can also be the result of the loss of one of the two bones, as in many cases it is not known if such loss occurs and which bone remains (see, for example: Jollie, 1960; Evans, 2008; Daza & Bauer, 2010).
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.