Comparative Osteology and Classification of the Crotaphytiform Lizards

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Abstract
Skeletal studies supplementing previous work reveal the existence of a total of 25 differences between Crotaphytus wislizeni and the collariform lizards Crotaphytus insularis, reticulatus and collaris and its subspecies. Twenty-one of these differences are of special adaptive value, directly or indirectly correlated with the adaptive zone occupied and plastically adaptive thereto. Three of the differentiae are minor drift specializations. Four of the differentiae are of general adaptive value. Two differentiae[long dash]tail regenerative ability and shape of clavicle[long dash]are highly paleotelic, the remainder neotelic. The two crotaphytiform groups are linked with each other by common retention of generalized features. No specialized features link the two crotaphytiform groups to the exclusion of other groups. The two crotaphytiform groups appear to be of exceptionally remote common ancestry as compared with other combinations of related genera of iguanoid lizards. Their similarity is due to exceptional parallelism. The morphological and phylogenetic evidence provides ample ground for attribution of generic rank to each of the two crotaphytiform groups. These two groups are nevertheless here regarded as subgenera in deference to their small size and greater similarity and natural relationship to each other than to other living groups, and to custom-imposed convenience.

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