NDLI: Burrowing performance and the role of limb reduction inLerista (Scincidae, Lacertilia)

Content Provider	Springer Nature Link
Author	Benesch, Annette R. Withers, Philip C.
Copyright Year	2002
Abstract	Size parameters of the fossorial lizardsLerista elegans, L. lineopunctulata andL. praepedita were measured and burrowing performance was observed. InL. elegans all four limbs were fully developed (relative hindlimb length, PHL, is 29.2 % of snout-vent length, SVL) with four toes while inL. lineopunctulata frontlimbs were almost completely reduced and hindlimbs (PHL is 9.0 % of SVL) had not more than one toe and inL. praepedita even the hindlimbs were reduced to short stumps (PHL is 2.1 % of SVL). The smallest SVL and total length (TL) was found inL. elegans (mass 0.597 g, SVL 37.0 mm, TL 80.9 mm, body width, BW, 3.921 mm).L. praepedita did not differ too much fromL. elegans in mass, but had a greater SVL and TL and a smaller BW (mass 0.502 g, SVL 52.8 mm, TL 93.4 mm, BW 2.804 mm).L. lineopunctulata had the biggest mass, SVL and TL (mass 4.113 g, SVL 84.1 mm, TL 142.9 mm, BW 6.367 mm). According to this dataL. elegans is morphologically less adapted to fossoriality than the other two species, what corresponds to field observations of behaviour. The technique of burrowing performance, the time needed and the use of the hindlimbs were compared. During trialsL. elegans showed the least motivation to burrow, whileL. lineopunctulata andL. praepedita burrowed always and almost immediately. Both species also burrowed with higher speed thanL. elegans. L. praepedita burrowed with undulating movements, the limbs were never used, whileL. elegans pushed the body inside the substrate with its limbs and started undulating only after the hindlimbs were burrowed. Burrowing performance ofL. lineopunctulata showed a combination of both techniques. InL. elegans, the time needed for burrowing and the use of the hindlimbs increased with size and mass. InL. lineopunctulata andL. praepedita head size was the most important factor.
Starting Page	107
Ending Page	114
Page Count	8
File Format	PDF
ISSN	00372110
Journal	Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments
Volume Number	82
Issue Number	1
Language	English
Publisher	Springer-Verlag
Publisher Date	2002-01-01
Publisher Place	Berlin, Heidelberg
Access Restriction	Subscribed
Subject Keyword	Lerista fossoriality burrowing performance limb reduction Paleontology Biodiversity Animal Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography Plant Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography Freshwater & Marine Ecology
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Paleontology

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