When populations experience suboptimal conditions, the mechanisms involved in the
regulation of phenotypic variation can be challenged, resulting in increased phenotypic …

The use of geometric morphometrics for studying phenotypic variation in amphibians and
reptiles has visibly increased in the last decade. These modern tools provide a robust …

The emergence of new technologies and improved computing power helped to introduce a
renewed vitality in morphological research in recent decades. This is especially apparent in …

Vertebrate skin is a remarkable organ that supports and protects the body. It consists of two
layers, the epidermis and the underlying dermis. In some tetrapods, the dermis includes …

Macroevolutionary changes such as variation in habitat use or diet are often associated with
convergent, adaptive changes in morphology. However, it is still unclear how small-scale …

Osteoderms, also called dermal armour, often play a role in predator defence. The presence
of osteoderms is highly irregularly distributed across the squamate phylogeny and they have …

We here describe the first fossil remains of a green lizard of the Lacerta group from the late
Miocene (MN 13) of the Solnechnodolsk locality in southern European Russia. This region …

Osteoderms constitute a morphological system that plays an important role in squamate
systematics. However, their study and visualization have always been difficult due to their …

Armored skin resulting from the presence of bony dermal structures, osteoderms, is an
exceptional phenotype in gekkotans (geckos and flap‐footed lizards) only known to occur in …

Osteoderms (OD) are mineralised dermal structures consisting mainly of calcium phosphate
and collagen. The sheer diversity of OD morphologies and their distribution within the skin of …