Jacques Gauthier, Maureen Kearney, Robert L Bezy
We conducted a comparative study of the cephalic scales in xantusiid lizards. We describe the observed scutellation patterns, compare these to patterns observed in other squamates, and present a...
Tooth Replacement in the Late Cretaceous Mosasaur Clidastes (2005)
Olivier Rieppel, Maureen Kearney
Thin sections through the dentary of two specimens of the Late Cretaceous mosasaur Clidastes propython document the upright (vertical) position of developing replacement teeth. Snakes are the only...
Amphisbaenians are a poorly known group of squamate reptiles with over 150 extant species in 23 genera. They live almost exclusively under loose or sandy soil in tropical to temperate areas around...
PROBLEMS DUE TO MISSING DATA IN PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSES INCLUDING FOSSILS: A CRITICAL REVIEW (2003)
MAUREEN KEARNEY, JAMES M. CLARK
We review the widespread notion that the inclusion of taxa scored for relatively few characters is problematic in phylogenetic analyses. Taxa scored for few characters may lead to lack of resolution,...
THE PHYLOGENETIC POSITION OF SINEOAMPHISBAENA HEXATABULARIS REEXAMINED (2003)
Sineoamphisbaena hexatabularis, a fossil squamate recovered from Upper Cretaceous deposits in Inner Mongolia, China, was reported to be the oldest known amphisbaenian and the sister group to all...
Diet in the Amphisbaenian Bipes biporus (2003)
Dietary habits of the amphisbaenian Bipes biporus from the Baja California peninsula were examined based on analysis of stomach contents of over 200 museum specimens. Ants and termites were the most...
Appendicular Skeleton in Amphisbaenians (Reptilia: Squamata) (2002)
The appendicular skeletal elements in 32 species from all 23 extant genera of amphisbaenians were surveyed via the preparation and study of radiographs, dry skeletons, and cleared-and-stained...
Repeated evolution of limblessness and digging heads in worm lizards revealed by DNA from old bones.
Kearney, Maureen, Stuart, Bryan L.
The evolutionary relationships of the burrowing amphisbaenians ('worm lizards') have long been controversial for several reasons: the rarity of museum specimens available for study, highly derived...