A comparative atlas of the skull osteology of European lizards (Reptilia: Squamata) Author Villa, Andrea Author Delfino, Massimo text Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 2019 2019-11-30 187 3 828 928 https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article/187/3/829/5528353 journal article 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlz035 0024-4082 14829109 Scincidae ( Figs 31F–J , 32 , 33 , 40J–K ) The prootics of scincids have a short paroccipital projection and an anteriorly rounded alar process that is very short in Ab. kitaibelii ( Fig. 31G ), moderately short in Chalcides bedriagai , Chalcides chalcides , Chalcides striatus and Tr. aurata ( Figs 32B , 40J ), and long in Chalcides ocellatus and Ophiomorus punctatissimus ( Figs 32G , 33B ). The incisura prootica is deep (very deep in Chalcides ocellatus ; Fig. 32G ) and moderately wide (even wider in Ab. kitaibelii ; Fig. 31G ). The facial foramen is also moderately wide, except for the one of Ab. kitaibelii . In Chalcides and Tr. aurata , the margins of this foramen are raised compared to the external surface of the bone. The foramen is located at the posterodorsal end of a shallow and very wide posterior portion of the recessus vena jugularis. The crista prootica is poorly developed (sometimes even absent) in Ab. kitaibelii and Ophiomorus punctatissimus ( Figs 31G , 33B ), and well developed in the other species ( Fig. 32B, G ). In Chalcides and Ophiomorus punctatissimus , it does not continue on the entire posterior process of the prootic: that of Chalcides bedriagai , Chalcides chalcides , Chalcides striatus and Ophiomorus punctatissimus ends by the facial foramen, whereas the one of Chalcides ocellatus extends only slightly beyond it. By the anterior end of the contact with the supraoccipital, a small marginal process is present in all species of Chalcides and in Ophiomorus punctatissimus .