The intramandibular joint in squamates, and the phylogenetic relationships of the fossil snake Pachyrhachis problematicus Haas

Title Variants

Alternative: Fieldiana: Geology, new series, no. 43

Alternative: Intramandibular joint in squamates

Related Titles

Series: Fieldiana, Geology, new ser., no. 43

Series: Publication (Field Museum of Natural History), 1507

By

Rieppel, Olivier

Zaher, Hussam , joint author

Type

Book

Material

Published material

Publication info

Chicago, Ill, Field Museum of Natural History, 2000

Notes

"Accepted July 28, 1999. Published March 31, 2000."

A review of the morphology of the lower jaw in varanoid squamates, including mosasaurs, and basal snakes (scolecophidians, anilioids, basal macrostomatans) reveals a greater degree of variability in the differentiation of the intramandibular joint than had previously been recorded. In particular, the mandibular joint of mosasauroid squamates and snakes differs fundamentally. In mosasaurs, the dentary is primarily suspended from the prearticular and the posteriorly concave splenial receives the anteriorly convex angular. In snakes, the dentary is primarily suspended from the surangular portion of the compound bone, and the angular is the receiving part in the mobile contact with the splenial. Characters of the intramandibular joint, along with those resulting from a review of the cranial anatomy of the fossil snake Pachyrhachis from the basal Upper Cretaceous of Ein Jabrud, are used in a review of squamate interrelationships. The results corroborate macrostomatan affinities of Pachyrhachis and do not support the hypothesis that snakes originated from mosasauroids, a clade of marine varanoid squamates from the Cretaceous.

Fieldiana series has been published as Geological Series by Field Columbian Museum (1895-1909) and Field Museum of Natural History (1909-1943), and as Fieldiana: Geology by Chicago Natural History Museum (1945-1966) and Field Museum of Natural History (1966-).

Subjects

Evolution , Morphology , Pachyrhachis problematicus , Phylogeny , Snakes , Squamata

Call Number

QE1 .F4 n.s., no. 43

Language

English

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.3584
OCLC: 43889906