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Neurocranial osteology and systematic relationships of Varanus (Megalania) prisca Owen, 1859 (Squamata: Varanidae)
Article first published online: 30 JAN 2009
DOI: 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2008.00448.x
© 2009 The Linnean Society of London
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How to Cite
HEAD, J. J., BARRETT, P. M. and RAYFIELD, E. J. (2009), Neurocranial osteology and systematic relationships of Varanus (Megalania) prisca Owen, 1859 (Squamata: Varanidae). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 155: 445–457. doi: 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2008.00448.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 30 JAN 2009
- Article first published online: 30 JAN 2009
- Received 30 October 2007; accepted for publication 13 January 2008
- Abstract
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- References
- Cited By
Keywords:
- gigantism;
- komodoensis;
- neurocranium;
- Pleistocene
The neurocranial osteology of the giant monitor lizard Varanus (Megalania) prisca Owen, 1859 is described in detail for the first time. Optimization of neurocranial characters onto phylogenetic topologies for varanoids, including Lanthanotus, Heloderma, and Varanus species nests V. prisca within an Indo-Australian clade of Varanus on the basis of characters of the otic capsule. A sister-taxon relationship between V. prisca and Varanus komodoensis Ouwens, 1912 is proposed based on apomorphies of the crista prootica, fenestra vestibuli, occipital recess, and supraoccipital. These results support a monophyletic clade of giant monitors among Indo-Australian species, and unambiguously synonymize Megalania with Varanus at both generic and subgeneric levels. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 155, 445–457.