The skull of Caiman crocodilus fuscus: Allometric and ontogenetic shifts

Cranial ontogenetic variations offer information on growth and trophic ecology in Crocodilia. Therefore, we analyze the ontogenetic variations of the skull, examining the shape and some bones in C. c. fuscus. We found an allometric effect and shape changes, varying from a longirostrine skull in hatchlings to a brevirostrine one in subadults and adults. A thickening in the base of the squamosal, the quadratojugal, the lateral process of the pterygoids, the retroarticular process of the articular, and the development of a dorsal crest in the surangular were observed. These changes would probably be related to variations in diet during ontogeny, with implications that must be considered in the study of evolution and conservation of those subspecies.