Snakes and lizards (Squamata) represent a third of terrestrial vertebrates and exhibit
spectacular innovations in locomotion, feeding, and sensory processing. However, the …

Background An understanding of the conservation status of Madagascar's endemic reptile
species is needed to underpin conservation planning and priority setting in this global …

Osteoderms constitute a morphological system that plays an important role in squamate
systematics. However, their study and visualization have always been difficult due to their …

As lineages become separated in time, they are expected to accumulate mutational (or
developmental-genetic) differences that influence the macroevolutionary trajectories of …

The limbless skink Ophiomorus punctatissimus is a cryptozoic species found in the
Peloponnese region of Greece and on the Greek island Kythira. To provide the first thorough …

Scincine lizards in Madagascar form an endemic clade of about 60 species exhibiting a
variety of ecomorphological adaptations. Several subclades have adapted to burrowing and …

In the Mammalia, vestigial skeletal structures abound but have not previously been the focus
of study, with a few exceptions (eg, whale pelves). Here we use a phylogenetic bracketing …

Trade-offs are thought to be important in constraining evolutionary divergence as they may
limit phenotypic diversification. The cranial system plays a vital role in many functions …

Among the endemic biota of Madagascar, skinks are a diverse radiation of lizards that
exhibit a striking ecomorphological variation, and could provide an interesting system to …

Calcified spines in the hemipenial surface occur convergently in several gymnophthalmid
lizard species and in advanced snakes. Based on the pronounced degrees of limb reduction …