A revision of the chameleon species Chamaeleo pfeili Schleich (Squamata; Chamaeleonidae) with description of a new material of chamaeleonids from the Miocene deposits of southern Germany

A revision of Chamaeleo pfeili Schleich is presented. The comparisons of the holotypic incomplete right maxilla with those of new specimens described here from the locality Langenau (MN 4b) and of the Recent species of Chamaeleo, Furcifer and Calumma is carried out. It is shown that the type material of C. pfeili and the material described here lack autapomorphic features. Schleich based his new species on the weak radial striations on the apical parts of bigger teeth. However, this character is seen in many species of extant chameleons, e. g. Calumma globifer, Furcifer pardalis and C. chamaeleon. For this reason, the name C. pfeili is considered a nomen dubium. This paper provides detailed descriptions and taxonomy of unpublished material from Petersbuch 2 (MN 4a) and Wannenwaldtobel (MN 5/6) in Germany. The material is only fragmentary and includes jaw bits. The morphology of the Petersbuch 2 material is very similar to that of the chameleons described from the Czech Republic.