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 : 888

Lacertidae ( Figs 30 , 31A–E , 40F–I )

In the prootic of lacertids, the paroccipital projection of the posterior process can be short ( Al. fitzingeri , Al. marchi , Al. moreoticus , Ar. bedriagae , I. cyreni , I. horvathi , I. monticola cantabrica , Ophisops elegans , Po. bocagei , Po. carbonelli , Po. filfolensis , Po. hispanicus , Po. lilfordi , Po. melisellensis , Po. milensis , Po. muralis , Po. tauricus , Po. tiliguerta , Ps. hispanicus and Z. vivipara ; Figs 31B , 40F ) or long ( Ac. erythrurus , Al. nigropunctatus , Da. oxycephala , Di. mosorensis , E. arguta , H. graeca , I. bonnali , I. monticola monticola , Lacerta , Po. siculus , Po. waglerianus , Psammodromus algirus and Ti. lepidus ; Figs 30B, G , 40H ). The alar process is wide, wing-like and anteriorly rounded. It is moderately short in Ac. erythrurus , Al. fitzingeri , Al. marchi , Al. moreoticus , Di. mosorensis , I. horvathi and Ophisops elegans ( Fig. 30B ) and longer in other species ( Figs 30G , 31B , 40F, H ). The length of both the projection and the alar process are linked to the ontogeny, being always shorter in juveniles. The incisura prootica is deep and the facial foramen is moderately or very wide. The crista prootica is well developed and continues on the sphenoid. In Ac. erythrurus , Al. fitzingeri , Al. marchi , Al. nigropunctatus , Lacerta agilis , Po. filfolensis , Po. muralis , Po. siculus , Po. tiliguerta and Po. waglerianus , it has no posterior portion ( Fig. 30B ), whereas a low one is present in other species. Usually, neither a clearly distinguishable recessus vena jugularis nor an entocarotid fossa are recognizable.

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 40. Prootics. A–C, Laudakia stellio (MDHC 245), right prootic in lateral (A), medial (B) and posterior (C) views. D–E, Chamaeleo chamaeleon (NHMW 611), left prootic in lateral (D) and medial (E) views. F–G, Po. muralis (MDHC 312), left prootic in medial (F) and posterior (G) views. H–I, H. graeca (MDHC 423), right prootic in medial (H) and posterior (I) views. J–K, Chalcides striatus (MDHC 404), right prootic in medial (J) and posterior (K) views. L–M, Anguis gr.An. fragilis (MDHC 49), left prootic in medial (L) and posterior (M) views. Abbreviations: aaf, anterior acoustic foramen; aip, anterior inferior process; amr, ampullary recess; ap, alar process; ar, acoustic recess; asc, anterior semicircular canal; ca, crista alaris; cac, cavum capsularis; ccr, cochlear crest; coc, cochlear cavity; cp, crista prootica; ff, facial foramen; gpd, groove for the perilymphatic duct; hsc, horizontal semicircular canal; ip, incisura prootica; paf, posterior acoustic foramen; pp, posterior process; ppp, projection of the posterior process; sf, notch of the sphenoccipital foramen; stp, superior trabecular process. Scale bars = 1 mm.