Morphological basis of the feeding mechanics in the shingle-back lizard Trachydosaurus rugosus (Scincidae, Reptilia)

Abstract

This report details certain morphological aspects of the feeding system of the lizard Trachydosaurus rugosus , an opportunistic omnivore, as a first step toward a functional characterization of its masticatory system. The skull is relatively solid and internally well braced; its anterodorsal elements are tightly tied to the integument and covering osteoderms. There is potential for intracranial kinesis and streptostyly. At small gapes, mandibular movements seem to be restricted to relatively simple, hingelike actions by a series of mechanical stops. The dentition features a progression of smaller to larger teeth posteriorly along the tooth row. The jaw adductor musculature is massive; other jaw muscles are relatively simple. The external adductor mass is particularly noteworthy in that it is subdivided into four mechanical units by a complex internal tendon tract (the coronoid aponeurosis). The internal adductor is composed of two separate gross muscles, pseudotemporalis (PST) and pterygoideus (PT). Each of these is subdivided into two main units by aponeurotic sheets, the PST by parts of the coronoid aponeurosis and the PT by a separate series. The form of the aponeurotic system in Trachydosaurus confounds the separation and identification of the adductor muscles and their component parts along the lines of traditional nomenclature, and underscores the need for separating criteria based on homology from those reflecting morphological and possibly functional divisions.