Question
Question: Anapsid skull is found in _____ A.Crocodiles B.Chelonia C.Squamata D.Rhynchocephalia...
Anapsid skull is found in _____
A.Crocodiles
B.Chelonia
C.Squamata
D.Rhynchocephalia
Solution
Anapsid is a type of skull in which the skull lacks more than one skull openings which is the fenestra near the temple. This type of skull is very primitive and belongs to the subclass of reptiles, The Synapsids and Diapsids evolved from the ancestral stock making the anapsid paraphyletic.
Complete step by step answer:
Crocodiles- Crocodiles have a diapsid type of skull and they are a group of amniote tetrapods which developed two holes at each side of their skull about three hundred million years ago during the Carboniferous period. These diapsids are very diverse and include all types of crocodiles, snakes, lizards, tuatara, birds, and turtles.
Chelonia- The anapsid reptiles have primitive skulls and are characterized by no temporal openings. Turtles are the only living creature of this clade and it belongs to one order which is referred to as Testudines, Chelonia, or Testudinata.
Squamata- These animals are diapsid like crocodiles. They are a group of reptiles that has two holes on each side of their skull.
Rhyncocephalia- These animals have a diapsid skull and lack a whole lower temporal bar, which separates from the other species and they also have a pair of incisor-like teeth.
Hence the correct answer is option B, Chelonia.
Below is the picture of a skull of Chelonia.
Additional Information:
Anapsida or anapsid reptiles were said to be a monophyletic group, it has been said that many groups of reptiles that have anapsid skulls might be distantly related. Researchers till now debate over the exact relationship between the reptiles which appeared in the late Carboniferous and the Testudines. Later it was said that the turtle anapsid skull was due to the reversion rather than being the descendant of the anapsid.
Note:
The anapsid type of skull is found in Chelonia( turtles and tortoises). An anapsid skull does not have openings near the temple areas. They have a solid bony top found in the primitive reptiles.