Abstract Within the lizard family Scincidae (the skinks) are numerous examples of species with vestigial limbs and girdles, but these vestigial structures remain undescribed for many such species. Here we seek to partially fill this gap in knowledge by describing the vestigial limb and girdle skeletons of Eumecia anchietae, an African skink for which the appendicular skeleton has not previously been described. Radiographs of 10 adult specimens reveal variation in the degree of ossification of the interclavicle and scapula and in the forelimb epiphyses; lengths of the humerus, forelimb and femur; and number of metacarpals, metatarsals and phalanges. The variation is unrelated to specimen size for most of these parameters. In all specimens the sternum is absent, the clavicle is ossified, ossification is greater in the humerus than in the more distal forelimb elements, ossification is greater in the tibia than the fibula, and the third toe has two phalanges. The results of this study suggest caution in the use of details of the morphology of vestigial limbs to diagnose lizard species, because of the variability present in such limbs.

中文翻译：

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残肢非洲石龙子 Eumecia anchietae 的四肢骨骼

摘要 在蜥蜴科 Scincidae（石龙子）中有许多具有退化四肢和腰带的物种的例子，但对于许多此类物种来说，这些退化结构仍未被描述。在这里，我们试图通过描述 Eumecia anchietae 的退化肢体和腰带骨骼来部分填补这一知识空白，Eumecia anchietae 是一种非洲石龙子，其附肢骨骼以前没有被描述过。10 个成人标本的 X 光片显示锁骨间和肩胛骨的骨化程度以及前肢骨骺的变化；肱骨、前肢和股骨的长度；以及掌骨、跖骨和指骨的数量。对于大多数这些参数，变化与试样尺寸无关。在所有标本中都没有胸骨，锁骨骨化，肱骨的骨化程度大于前肢远端的骨化程度，胫骨的骨化程度大于腓骨，第三脚趾有两个趾骨。这项研究的结果表明，在使用退化肢体的形态细节来诊断蜥蜴物种时要谨慎，因为这些肢体存在变异性。