Comparative Cranial Osteology of Fossorial Lizards From the Tribe Gymnophthalmini (Squamata, Gymnophthalmidae)

Squamates (lizards, snakes and amphisbaenians) are represented by a large number of species distributed among a wide variety of habitats. Changes in body plan related to a fossorial habit are a frequent trend within the group and many morphological adaptations to this particular lifestyle evolved convergently in nonrelated species, reflecting adaptations to a similar habitat. The fossorial lifestyle requires an optimal morphological organization for an effective use of the available resources. Skeleton arrangement in fossorial squamates reflects adaptations to the burrowing activity, and different degrees of fossoriality can be inferred through an analysis of skull morphology. Here, we provide a detailed description of the skull morphology of three fossorial gymnophthalmid species: Calyptommatus nicterus, Scriptosaura catimbau, and Nothobachia ablephara. J. Morphol. 271: 1352-1365, 2010. (C) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Cranial osteology and systematic implications in Crotophaginae (Aves, Cuculidae)

Recognizing the scarcity of anatomical and phylogenetic studies on Crotophaginae, the authors set Out to add to the anatomical knowledge of the group based on a detailed description of cranial osteology. Another objective was to verify whether this source of data could be used to infer relationships by performing the first cladistic analysis of the four species of Crotophaginae. The shortest-length cladogram (consistency index = 1.0) indicated that cranial osteology is an important source of characters for cladistic analysis of cuckoos. The findings corroborated the monophyly of Crotophaginae, showing that Guira guira is (lie most divergent and plesiomorphic taxon and that Crotophaga ani and Crotophaga sulcirostris are more closely related to each other than to Crotophaga major.

Osteology and Intraspecific Variation of Leptodactylus podicipinus (Anura: Leptodactylidae), with Comments on the Relationship between Osteology and Reproductive Modes

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Cranial osteology in mornoticlae (Aves : Coradiformes)

Momotidae (motmots) is found throughout Latin America between Mexico and northern Argentina. Given the absence of detailed studies of cranial osteology of Momotidae in the literature, this article presents a comprehensive description of the variation of the cranial osteology in all nine species of Momotidae and compares the results with published studies of other families of Coraciiformes and families in other orders. In addition, the cranial structures described are related to ecological and behavioral aspects of Momotidae. The cranial osteology of Baryphthengus ruficapillus is described in detail and compared with other species of Momotidae. The results indicate the presence in Momotidae of modified cranial structures, among which the most conspicuous are the frontal, lacrimal, squamosal, orbital, and laterosphenoid regions, as well as the palatine, upper jaw, pterygoid, and mandible. (C) 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Skull and mandible formation in the cuckoo (Aves, Cuculidae): Contributions to the nomenclature in avian osteology and systematics

The study of the contributions of different bones to the formation of the skeleton in birds is necessary: (1) to establish homologies in comparative anatomy; (2) to delimit each bone structure correctly, mainly in relation to the skull and mandible where the bones are fused to each other in adults; and (3) to standardize nomenclature in avian osteology. In this paper at least one young specimen belonging to each sub-family of Cuculidae was examined in order to identify each bone in terms of boundaries and contributions to skull and mandible formation. These cuckoos specimens were also compared with adults and young of turacos and hoatzin. The results show little variation of skull and jaw among the young cuckoos studied compared with the variations among adult specimens. However, it provides new suggestions for the boundaries and nomenclature of certain osseous structures in the skull and mandible of birds, specifically fissura zona flexoria craniofacialis, prominetia frontoparietalis, crista temporalis transversa, processus squamosalis, fossa laterosphenoidalis, tuberculum laterosphenoidale and processus retroangularis. This study also provides more reliable homologies for use in cladistic analysis and above all it contributes to the phylogenetic position of Cuculidae within Neognathae, specifically the skull formation suggest that turacos and hoatzin are more similar to each other than either is to the cuckoos. © 2005 Taylor & Francis.

Cranial osteology of Picini (Aves: Piciformes: Picidae)

The Picini is composed of 26 species of woodpeckers from the old world that are grouped into seven genera. Given the absence of detailed studies on the cranial osteology of the Picini, the purpose of this study is to describe the cranial osteology of 14 species of Picini from six genera and to compare these species with each other, with other species of woodpeckers and with other bird groups. The results of the analysis of the bone structures of the skull of the Picini indicate that there are seven outstanding characteristic of bones involved in the functional mechanistics of the jaw apparatus. In the ossa cranii, these include the frontal overhang, the postorbital process, the extension of the parietal versus the frontal region and the temporal fossa. In the ossa faciei, these include the rostral expansion of the pterygoid, the ventral palatine fossa and the orbital process of the quadrate bone. For all of the structures associated with the cranial osteology of the investigated species, there is a clear distinction between the species of the genus Picus and the other species studied. Blythipicus rubiginosus, Chrysocolaptes lucidus, Reinwardtipicus validus, Gecinulus viridis and the species of the genus Dinopium exhibit additional particularities. © 2012 The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

Cranial osteology of meiglyptini (aves: piciformes: picidae)

The Meiglyptini comprise eight species grouped into three genera: Meiglyptes and Mulleripicus, with three species each, and Hemicircus, with two species. The aim of the present study was to describe the cranial osteology of six species and three genera of Meiglyptini and to compare them to each other, as well as with other species of woodpeckers and other bird groups. The cranial osteology varied among the investigated species, but the most markedly distinct characteristics were: (1) a frontal overhang is only observed in the middle portion of the frontale of H. concretus; (2) the Proc. zygomaticus and suprameaticus are thick and long in species of the genus Mulleripicus, but short in other species; (3) the Pes pterygoidei is relatively larger in species of the genus Mulleripicus, while it is narrow, thin and relatively smaller in species of the genus Meiglyptes and indistinct in H. concretus; (4) the bony projection of the ectethmoidale is relatively short and thin in species of Mulleripicus and more developed in H. concretus. It appears that the greatest structural complexity of the cranial osteology is associated with the birds' diet, with the frugivorous H. concretus being markedly different from the insectivorous species.

Comparative analysis of the cranial osteology and evolutionary traits of micrastur gilvicollis, micrastur ruficollis and micrastur semitorquatus (aves: falconiformes)

The cranial osteology of Micrastur gilvicollis (Vieillot, 1817), Micrastur ruficollis (Vieillot, 1817) and Micrastur semitorquatus (Vieillot, 1817) is comparatively and meticulously described to characterize each of the species and to determine which traits the species have in common and which are distinct. These traits will be used a posteriori for phylogenetic analysis. Our results indicate that M. gilvicollis and M. ruficollis are closely related, as they share a large number of traits, including a lacrimal bone with a distal portion that is approximately half as long as the proximal portion and a parasphenoid rostrum that covers 50% of the distance between the occipital condyle and pterygoid. Similarly, M. gilvicollis and M. semitorquatus both have a partially fused craniofacial flexion zone. In both M. ruficollis and M. semitorquatus, the symphyseal region of the mandible is 1/5 the total length of the mandible. The diagnostic traits for each of these species are as follows: a) in M. gilvicollis, the interorbital distance is 1/3 the length of the parietal, and the zygomatic process stretches 1/5 of the distance from the orbital arch to the jugal arch; b) in M. ruficollis, the interorbital distance is 2/5 of the length of the parietal and the zygomatic process extends 1/4 of the distance from the orbital arch to the jugal arch; and c) in M. semitorquatus, the interorbital distance is 3/7 the length of the parietal and the distal portion of the lacrimal is 1/3 the length of the proximal portion. Among the three species, M. gilvicolis and M. ruficollis share the most traits, which leads us to infer that these species are more closely related to one another than they are to M. semitorquatus. Phylogenetic analysis performed a posteriori may confirm the relationship between these three species.

Digital forensic osteology--possibilities in cooperation with the Virtopsy project

The present study was carried out to check whether classic osteometric parameters can be determined from the 3D reconstructions of MSCT (multislice computed tomography) scans acquired in the context of the Virtopsy project. To this end, four isolated and macerated skulls were examined by six examiners. First the skulls were conventionally (manually) measured using 32 internationally accepted linear measurements. Then the skulls were scanned by the use of MSCT with slice thicknesses of 1.25 mm and 0.63 mm, and the 33 measurements were virtually determined on the digital 3D reconstructions of the skulls. The results of the traditional and the digital measurements were compared for each examiner to figure out variations. Furthermore, several parameters were measured on the cranium and postcranium during an autopsy and compared to the values that had been measured on a 3D reconstruction from a previously acquired postmortem MSCT scan. The results indicate that equivalent osteometric values can be obtained from digital 3D reconstructions from MSCT scans using a slice thickness of 1.25 mm, and from conventional manual examinations. The measurements taken from a corpse during an autopsy could also be validated with the methods used for the digital 3D reconstructions in the context of the Virtopsy project. Future aims are the assessment and biostatistical evaluation in respect to sex, age and stature of all data sets stored in the Virtopsy project so far, as well as of future data sets. Furthermore, a definition of new parameters, only measurable with the aid of MSCT data would be conceivable.

Osteology, function, and evolution of the Trematopsid (Amphibia: Labyrinthodontia) nasal region / [by] John R. Bolt --.

v.33:no.2(1974)

Catalogue of the specimens illustrating the osteology and dentition of vertebrated animals, recent and extinct, contained in the museum,

Mode of access: Internet.

Osteology of the North American tetraonidae /

Extracted from the U.S. Geological and Geographical Survey Bulletin, v. 6, no.2.