The morphological comparison of the facial skeleton and tongue between young nestlings and subadults has shown thatMeropsdesmognatism is due to the ossification of theprocessus prenasalisandsolum nasi.The maxillo‐palatines are not fused along the midline and the pterigoid is fused to the vomer. The heterochrony in the development of the skull ofMeropswas suggested to be due to protracted parental care so that only when the bird captures its prey, do the stresses produced in the killing actions induce ossification of thesolum nasiand of theprocessus prenasalis.