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The skull of Vanzosaura rubricauda (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae)
Author(s) -
Guerra Cecilia,
Montero Ricardo
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
acta zoologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.414
H-Index - 37
eISSN - 1463-6395
pISSN - 0001-7272
DOI - 10.1111/j.1463-6395.2008.00378.x
Subject(s) - osteology , skull , anatomy , biology , squamata , clearance , zoology , medicine , urology
A detailed description of the cranial osteology and chondrocranium of Vanzosaura rubricauda is made based both on articulated and partially disarticulated material of dry skeletons and cleared and stained specimens, and is compared with other previously studied gymnophthalmids. Some features of Vanzosaura are interesting, such as the reduction of the supratemporal fenestrae, that may reflect a process of miniaturization, and the fusion of the occipital bones in a single oto‐occipital complex with no evident sutures. Based on the anatomical evidence, the skull of Vanzosaura is interpreted as amphikinetic.