Taxonomic Revision of the New Zealand Copper Skink (Cyclodina aenea: Squamata: Scincidae) Species Complex, with Descriptions of Two New Species

2008 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 437-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
David G. Chapple ◽  
Geoff B. Patterson ◽  
Trent Bell ◽  
Charles H. Daugherty
Zootaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4623 (3) ◽  
pp. 441-484
Author(s):  
SABINE MELZER ◽  
ROD A. HITCHMOUGH ◽  
TRENT BELL ◽  
DAVID G. CHAPPLE ◽  
GEOFF B. PATTERSON

New Zealand has a diverse skink fauna, comprising 45 described native species, and at least 15 undescribed taxa, within the single genus Oligosoma Girard, 1857. One of the earliest described, and best known, species is the speckled skink, Oligosoma infrapunctatum (Boulenger 1887). Despite a relatively stable taxonomic history for nearly 114 years, recent molecular work has indicated that O. infrapunctatum represents a species complex, comprising numerous genetically divergent, range restricted taxa. We completed the first stage of a taxonomic revision of O. infrapunctatum, conducting a morphological re-evaluation of existing voucher material, and newly collected specimens, and generated a molecular phylogeny for the species complex. This allowed us to distinguish six species: O. infrapunctatum, two species resurrected from synonymy (O. newmani, O. robinsoni), and three new species (O. salmo sp. nov., O. albornense sp. nov. O. auroraensis sp. nov.). The name bearing type population of O. infrapunctatum has not been located again for at least 130 years: it remains to be rediscovered and may already be extinct. Two of the six species here are considered ‘Nationally Critical’ (O. albornense sp. nov., O. salmo sp. nov.) under the New Zealand Threat Classification System, the others are Nationally Vulnerable (O. auroraensis sp. nov.) and At Risk—Relict (O. newmani, O. robinsoni). Further taxonomic work will be required to determine the taxonomy of other speckled skink genetic lineages in the South Island, particularly O. aff. infrapunctatum “cobble”, O. “Hokitika”, O. “Southern North Island” and O. “Westport”. 


Brunonia ◽  
1979 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 175 ◽  
Author(s):  
JA Elix

The Australian, New Zealand and Papua New Guinean representatives of Hypogymia are reviewed. Photographs, keys and descriptions are given for the 11 species and five varieties. Two new species are described, H. enteromorphoides and H. kosciuskoensis, as well as a new variety, H. subphysodes var. austerodioides and six new combinations are made, namely H. lugubris var. sublugubris, H. lugubris var. compactior, H. pulchrilobata, H. pul- verata, H. tubularis and H. turgidula. Distribution of these taxa is discussed and maps have been provided. The species included in this revision are H. billardieri, H. enteromorphoides, H. kosciuskoensis, H. lugubris, H. mundata, H. pulchrilobata, H. pulverata, H. subphysodes, H. tubularis, H. turgidula and H. vittata.


Zootaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4417 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
HASAN SEVGİLİ ◽  
DENİZ ŞİRİN ◽  
KLAUS-GERHARD HELLER ◽  
MİCHÈLE LEMONNIER-DARCEMONT

The aim of this study is to conduct a detailed taxonomic revision of the Poecilimon (Poecilimon) zonatus species-group (Orthoptera: Phaneropterinae) using both morphology and bioacoustics. Two new species (Poecilimon (Poecilimon) salmani, P. (P) azizsancar) and one new subspecies (P. (P) zonatus datca) are described. Based on the data, we conclude that the species complex can be separated into two subgroups (P. tauricola and P. zonatus). Within the P. zonatus subgroup, song structures indicate P. variicercis as basal branch since producing two syllable types is possibly a derived character. From both, from bioacoustics and morphology, it is concluded that the relationships between species of the group are as follows: P. tauricola subgroup (P. tauricola + P. azizsancar) + P. zonatus subgroup (P. variicercis + (P. varicornis + (P. zonatus zonatus+P. zonatus datca)) + (P. salmani+P. vodnensis)))). Except for two species (P. vodnensis and P. varicornis), the other species of the group are all distributed in Anatolia. P. vodnensis is known only from Macedonia, whereas, P. varicornis has been recorded only from Syria and Lebanon. We assume that the group originated from an Anatolian ancestral stock and expanded its distribution to the Balkans through Taurus Way and Dardanelles. Other ancestral populations may have also spread in the north-south directions through the appropriate steppe corridors in the Anatolian Diagonal Mountains and in its vicinity.


Zootaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 4323 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
RYAN J. ELLIS ◽  
PAUL DOUGHTY ◽  
STEPHEN C. DONNELLAN ◽  
JULIE MARIN ◽  
NICOLAS VIDAL

The blindsnake genus Anilios (formerly Ramphotyphlops) is the largest and most diverse genus of snakes in Australia with 45 currently recognized species. Recent molecular genetic studies of the genus have identified high levels of cryptic diversity within many taxa, suggesting true species diversity is greatly underestimated. Anilios leptosoma is a slender blindsnake endemic to the mid-west of Western Australia. Although morphological variation has been identified within the species in the past, the systematics and true diversity remained unstudied. Here we use recent molecular data to guide a reappraisal of morphology in order to provide a taxonomic revision of the A. leptosoma species complex. We redescribe A. leptosoma and describe two new species that occur to the south of most of true A. leptosoma’s distribution: A. systenos sp. nov. and A. obtusifrons sp. nov. Anilios systenos sp. nov. is known from the Geraldton region with the furthest record only 100 km to the north-east, a very small range for a species of snake. Anilios obtusifrons sp. nov. has an even smaller distribution, as it is only known from a small coastal area south of Kalbarri and may represent a range-restricted taxa. All species are genetically divergent from each other and can be distinguished by consistent morphological characteristics, including the shape of the snout, the termination point of the rostral cleft and number of mid-body scale rows and ventral scales. 


Zootaxa ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 2782 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
DAVID G. CHAPPLE ◽  
TRENT P. BELL ◽  
STEPHANIE N. J. CHAPPLE ◽  
KIMBERLY A. MILLER ◽  
CHARLES H. DAUGHERTY ◽  
...  

The New Zealand skink fauna is highly diverse and contains numerous cryptic, undescribed or hitherto undiscovered species. We completed a taxonomic revision of the cryptic skink (Oligosoma inconspicuum) species complex using molecular (550 bp of the ND2 mitochondrial gene) and morphological analyses. Four new species are described, with each diagnosable by a range of morphological characters and genetic differentiation from several closely related species: O. inconspicuum (sensu stricto), O. notosaurus, O. maccanni, O. stenotis and O. grande. Oligosoma tekakahu sp. nov. is restricted to Chalky Island in Fiordland, and is most closely related to O. inconspicuum and O. notosaurus. The other three new species are restricted to particular mountainous regions in central and western Otago (O. burganae sp. nov., Lammermoor and Rock and Pillar Ranges; O. toka sp. nov., Nevis Valley; O. repens sp. nov., Eyre Mountains) and are most closely related to O. stenotis and O. grande. We also re-described O. inconspicuum. Two proposed new taxa, the ‘Big Bay’ skink and ‘Mahogany’ skink, were found to represent Westland/Fiordland populations of O. inconspicuum rather than distinct taxa. We discuss the evolutionary and phylogeographic implications of cryptic and ‘anti-cryptic’ species within the O. inconspicuum species complex, and suggest that morphologically aberrant populations are the result of local adaptation to novel selective regimes.


2013 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 355-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Didier Bert ◽  
Stéphane Bersac ◽  
Gérard Delanoy ◽  
Léon Canut

Abstract Bed-by-bed sampling of twelve Barremian sections in southeastern France from pelagic basin (Vocontian Basin) to neritic platforms (Arc of Castellane, Arc of Nice and Provencal Domain) has enabled the collection of isochronous samples of the ammonite genus Gassendiceras. Three poorly known species of the Toxancyloceras vandenheckei Zone (Upper Barremian) are revised: G. alpinum, G. multicostatum and G. hoheneggeri; two new species are described (G. rebouleti nov. sp. and G. bosellii nov. sp.). The intraspecific variability of particular species was recognised. This variability is between slender peramorphic and robust paedomorphic extreme morphologies, with the presence of all intermediates.


Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4830 (3) ◽  
pp. 503-543
Author(s):  
ADALBERTO DANTAS DE MEDEIROS ◽  
DIEGO RODRIGO DOLIBAINA ◽  
EDUARDO CARNEIRO ◽  
OLAF HERMANN HENDRIK MIELKE ◽  
MIRNA MARTINS CASAGRANDE

The South American genus Panca Evans, 1955 and its respective species are revised. Previous to this study, the genus included solely its type species, Lerodea subpunctuli Hayward, 1934, until Panca moseri Dolibaina, Carneiro & O. Mielke, 2017 was described recently. However, as a result of a broader morphological study including closely related genera, we here propose that Panca assembles 12 species, most of which inhabit open environments such as the Cerrado biome and the natural grasslands of the Atlantic Forest biome. Eight species formerly included among other genera of Moncina are here combined with Panca: Panca satyr (Evans, 1955) comb. nov., Panca tobiasi (Mielke, 1992) comb. nov., Panca trogon (Evans, 1955) comb. nov., Panca steinhauseri (Dolibaina & A. Warren, 2015) comb. nov., Panca acroleuca (Plötz, 1884) comb. nov., and Panca mirnae (O. Mielke, Dolibaina, Carneiro & A. Warren, 2015) comb. nov. (all formerly in Artines Godman, 1901), Panca paulo (Bell, 1932) comb. nov. (formerly in Eutocus Godman, 1901), and Panca mictra (Evans, 1955) comb. nov. (formerly in Vidius Evans, 1955). Additionally, two new species are described from Brazil: Panca puri Medeiros, O. Mielke & Casagrande sp. nov. (from Pará, Pernambuco, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and Paraná) and Panca xavante Medeiros, O. Mielke & Dolibaina sp. nov. (from Mato Grosso, Goiás, Distrito Federal and Minas Gerais). A neotype for Apaustus acroleuca Plötz, 1884 is designated. Illustrations of the male and female genitalia and distribution maps are presented for all the species of Panca and an identification key is provided for both sexes. 


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document