The skull of the Uropeltinae (Reptilia, Serpentes), with special reference to the otico-occipital region

Abstract

The skull anatomy of uropeltines is reviewed, and new data is presented on the highly derived otico-occipital region. A phylogenetic analysis of uropeltine interrelationships using parsimony is performed using characters derived from skull structure. The basal position of the genus Melanophidium is confirmed; Pseudotyphlops is a relatively derived uropeltine, in spite of its relatively large size. The monophyly of the genera Melanophidium and Rhinophis requires further testing.