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Zhou H, Li S, Shen Z, Liu S, Rao D. A new species of Hemiphyllodactylus (Squamata, Gekkonidae) from southwest Yunnan, China. Zookeys 2024; 1197:197-213. [PMID: 38666072 PMCID: PMC11043650 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1197.117359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
A new species of gekkonid, Hemiphyllodactylusgengmaensissp. nov., is described based on six specimens from Gengma Dai and Wa Autonomous County, Yunnan, China. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by a significant genetic divergence of greater than 9.7% in the mitochondrial ND2 gene and a combination of the following characters: a maximum SVL of 43.24mm; 8 or 9 chin scales; six circumnasal scales; 2 or 3 internasal scales; 9-11 supralabial scales; 8 or 9 infralabial scales; 11-18 dorsal scales; 8-10 ventral scales; a manual lamellar formula of 5-5-5-4 or 5-6-5-4 and a pedal lamellar formula of 5-5-6-5; 20-25 precloacal and femoral pore-bearing scales contiguous in males; dark postorbital stripes or striping on body; dark dorsal transverse blotches present; and a brown postsacral mark bearing anteriorly projecting arms. The discovery of this new species brings the number of Hemiphyllodactylus species in China to 15.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongxin Zhou
- Key Laboratory for Forest Resources Conservation and Utilization in the Southwest Mountains of China, Ministry of Education Faculty of Biodiversity and Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, Yunnan 650224, ChinaKunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
- Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, ChinaSouthwest Forestry UniversityKunmingChina
| | - Shimin Li
- Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, ChinaSouthwest Forestry UniversityKunmingChina
- Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, ChinaAnhui Normal UniversityWuhuChina
| | - Ziqi Shen
- Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, ChinaSouthwest Forestry UniversityKunmingChina
| | - Shuo Liu
- Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, ChinaKunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Chinese Academy of ScienceKunmingChina
| | - Dingqi Rao
- Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, ChinaSouthwest Forestry UniversityKunmingChina
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Luu VQ, Nguyen TH, Do QH, Pham CT, Hoang TT, Nguyen TQ, Le MD, Ziegler T, Grismer JL, Grismer LL. A new species of Hemiphyllodactylus (Squamata, Gekkonidae) from Ha Giang Province, Vietnam. Zookeys 2023; 1167:353-382. [PMID: 37397159 PMCID: PMC10311357 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1167.103713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
An integrative analysis recovered a new species of the Hemiphyllodactylustypus group from a karst formation in Lung Cu Commune, Dong Van District, Ha Giang Province, northeastern Vietnam. Hemiphyllodactyluslungcuensissp. nov. is embedded within clade 6 of the typus group, bearing an uncorrected pairwise sequence divergence of 4.6-20.2% from all other species based on a 1,038 base pair segment of the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 gene (ND2). It is diagnosable from other species in clade 6 by statistically significant mean differences in normalized morphometric, meristic, and categorical characters. A multiple factor analysis using the three aforementioned character types recovered its unique, non-overlapping placement in morphospace as statistically significantly different from that of all other species in clade 6. The description of this new Hemiphyllodactylus species contributes to a growing body of literature underscoring the high degree of herpetological diversity and endemism in karst landscapes in Vietnam as well as in the genus Hemiphyllodactylus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinh Quang Luu
- Faculty of Forest Resources and Environmental Management, Vietnam National University of Forestry, Xuan Mai, Chuong My, Hanoi, Vietnam
- Herpetology Laboratory, Department of Biology, La Sierra University, 4500 Riverwalk Parkway, Riverside, California 92505, USA
| | - Thuong Huyen Nguyen
- Faculty of Forest Resources and Environmental Management, Vietnam National University of Forestry, Xuan Mai, Chuong My, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Quyen Hanh Do
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences, University of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, 334 Nguyen Trai Road, Hanoi, Vietnam
- Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Cuong The Pham
- Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Hanoi, Vietnam
- Graduate University of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Tuoi Thi Hoang
- Faculty of Forest Resources and Environmental Management, Vietnam National University of Forestry, Xuan Mai, Chuong My, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Truong Quang Nguyen
- Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Hanoi, Vietnam
- Graduate University of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Minh Duc Le
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences, University of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, 334 Nguyen Trai Road, Hanoi, Vietnam
- Central Institute for Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, 19 Le Thanh Tong, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Thomas Ziegler
- Department of Herpetology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79
| | - Jesse L. Grismer
- Herpetology Laboratory, Department of Biology, La Sierra University, 4500 Riverwalk Parkway, Riverside, California 92505, USA
| | - L. Lee Grismer
- Herpetology Laboratory, Department of Biology, La Sierra University, 4500 Riverwalk Parkway, Riverside, California 92505, USA
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3
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Sil M, Roy A, Bhat HNP, Palden T, Karanth KP, Aravind NA. Role of paleoclimatic and paleohydrological processes in lineage divergence in freshwater organisms: A snippet from lentic genus Pila. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2023; 181:107723. [PMID: 36720420 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The Indian subcontinent is extremely diverse in terms of its flora and fauna. However, only a handful of studies have aimed to understand the diversity of freshwater invertebrates using multiple lines of evidence in recent times. Here we aimed to estimate the cryptic diversity of two widespread freshwater snail species within the genus Pila (Röding, 1798) and uncover the processes behind lineage diversification in these species. We sequenced mitochondrial and nuclear markers from a comprehensive sampling of specimens from different river basins in India. We implemented an integrative taxonomy approach to delimit the lineages in these groups, employing phylogenetic, geometric morphometric and niche modelling-based methods. Then, we investigated the drivers of lineage divergence in these species using population genetic tools in conjunction with divergence time estimation. We found that both species consist of several genetically and ecologically distinct lineages. The genetic data showed that several of these lineages are restricted to a single or a few river basins. The divergence time estimation analyses indicated that the time frame of divergence within the species coincided with paleohydrological and paleoclimatic events in the Miocene. The diversification was primarily driven by allopatric isolation into different river basins. To conclude, the study sheds light on the complex interaction between the habitat preference of the species and the environment in shaping the diversification patterns in this group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maitreya Sil
- Suri Sehgal Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Royal Enclave, Srirampura, Jakkur PO, Bangalore 560064, India; National Institute for Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar 752050, India.
| | - Abhisikta Roy
- Suri Sehgal Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Royal Enclave, Srirampura, Jakkur PO, Bangalore 560064, India
| | - H N Poorna Bhat
- Suri Sehgal Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Royal Enclave, Srirampura, Jakkur PO, Bangalore 560064, India
| | - Tenzin Palden
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Malleshwaram, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - K Praveen Karanth
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Malleshwaram, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - N A Aravind
- Suri Sehgal Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Royal Enclave, Srirampura, Jakkur PO, Bangalore 560064, India; Yenepoya Research Centre, Yenepoya University, Derlakatte, Mangalore, India.
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Hartley R, Clemann N, Atkins Z, Scheele BC, Lindenmayer DB, Amor MD. Isolated on sky islands: genetic diversity and population structure of an endangered mountain lizard. CONSERV GENET 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-022-01495-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Agarwal I, Thackeray T, Khandekar A. A multitude of spots! Five new microendemic species of the Cnemaspis gracilis group (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from massifs in the Shevaroy landscape, Tamil Nadu, India. VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.3897/vz.72.e94799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
South Asian Cnemaspis are one of the most diverse clades of gekkonids in South Asia with their highest diversity in the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka. These geckos include only a few nocturnal species and are largely diurnal or cathemeral and restricted to relatively cool habitats. One of the prominently diurnal subgroups in South Asian Cnemaspis is the bangara clade, which includes six species distributed in southern India on the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats, the southern Eastern Ghats and Palghat Gap. In this paper, we describe five more species of the bangara clade from the Shevaroyan landscape, including three from Kollimalai and one each from Yercaud and Pachaimalai, all in Tamil Nadu. These new species show 4.6–19.7 % uncorrected sequence divergence on the mitochondrial ND2 gene from each other and known species of the bangara clade and are morphologically diagnosable in body size, the number of paravertebral tubercles between limb insertions, the number of dorsal tubercle rows, the number of ventral scale rows across the belly, the number of femoral and precloacal pores and poreless scales separating these series, and aspects of colouration. The discovery of these five new species adds to the growing discoveries of cool-adapted species in southern India outside the Western Ghats and highlights the role of sky-islands in diversification. The Shevaroyan landscape shows high levels of microendemism with eight species distributed in an area of < 2000 km2, and all these species restricted to much smaller areas of actual distribution. With an area of < 500 km2 respectively, the massif of Pachaimalai has a single endemic and the massifs of Yercaud and Kollimalai have three endemic Cnemaspis species each.
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Agarwal I, Bauer AM, Gamble T, Giri VB, Jablonski D, Khandekar A, Mohapatra PP, Masroor R, Mishra A, Ramakrishnan U. The evolutionary history of an accidental model organism, the leopard gecko Eublepharis macularius (Squamata: Eublepharidae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2022; 168:107414. [PMID: 35032646 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The leopard gecko, Eublepharis macularius, is a widely used model organism in laboratory and experimental studies. The high phenotypic diversity in the pet trade, the fact that the provenance of different breeding lines is unknown, and that distinct Eublepharis species are known to hybridize, implies that the continued use of E. macularius as a model requires clarity on the origin of the lineages in the pet trade. We combine multi-locus sequence data and the first range-wide sampling of the genus Eublepharis to reconstruct the evolutionary history of the Eublepharidae and Eublepharis, with an updated time-tree for the Eublepharidae. Our sampling includes five of the six recognized species and additional nominal taxa of uncertain status comprising 43 samples from 34 localities plus 48 pet-trade samples. The Eublepharidae began diversifying in the Cretaceous. Eublepharis split from its sister genera in Africa in the Palaeocene-Eocene, and began diversifying in the Oligocene-Miocene, with late Miocene-Pliocene cladogenesis giving rise to extant species. The current species diversity within this group is moderately underestimated. Our species delimitation suggests 10 species with four potentially unnamed divergent lineages in Iran, India and Pakistan. All 30 individuals of E. macularius that we sampled from the pet trade, which include diverse morphotypes, come from a few shallow E. macularius clades, confirming that lab and pet trade strains are part of a single taxon. One of the wild-caught haplotypes of E. macularius, from near Karachi, Pakistan, is identical to (10) pet-trade samples and all other captive populations are closely related to wild-caught animals from central/southern Pakistan (0.1-0.5 % minimum pairwise uncorrected ND2 sequence divergence).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishan Agarwal
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, 560065, India; Thackeray Wildlife Foundation, Vaibhav Chambers, Bandra, Mumbai, 400051, India; Department of Biology and Center for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stewardship, Villanova University, 800 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, Pennsylvania, 19085, USA.
| | - Aaron M Bauer
- Department of Biology and Center for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stewardship, Villanova University, 800 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, Pennsylvania, 19085, USA
| | - Tony Gamble
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, 53233, USA; Milwaukee Public Museum, 800 W. Wells St., Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA; Bell Museum of Natural History, University of Minnesota, 2088 Larpenteur Ave. W., St. Paul, MN, 55113, USA
| | - Varad B Giri
- NIDUS, A1903, Shubh Kalyan, Nanded City, Pune, 411041, India
| | - Daniel Jablonski
- Department of Zoology, Ilkovičova 6, Mlynská dolina, Comenius University in Bratislava, 842 15 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Akshay Khandekar
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, 560065, India; Thackeray Wildlife Foundation, Vaibhav Chambers, Bandra, Mumbai, 400051, India
| | - Pratyush P Mohapatra
- Zoological Survey of India, Central Zone Regional Centre, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, 482002, India
| | - Rafaqat Masroor
- Pakistan Museum of Natural History, Garden Avenue, Shakarparian, Islamabad-44000, Pakistan
| | - Anurag Mishra
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, 560065, India
| | - Uma Ramakrishnan
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, 560065, India
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Joshi J, Agarwal I. Integrative Taxonomy in the Indian Subcontinent: Current Progress and Prospects. J Indian Inst Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s41745-021-00244-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Ceríaco LM, Parrinha D, Marques MP. Saving collections: taxonomic revision of the herpetological collection of the Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical, Lisbon (Portugal) with a protocol to rescue abandoned collections. Zookeys 2021; 1052:85-156. [PMID: 34393554 PMCID: PMC8346433 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1052.64607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The herpetological collections of the Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical, Lisbon, are amongst the most important collections from the former Portuguese territories in Africa and Asia. The collection comprises more than 5000 preserved specimens, including type specimens of nine taxa, Trachylepis adamastor, Trachypelis thomensis, Panaspis thomensis, Naja peroescobari, Dalophia angolensis, Hemidactylus nzingae, Boaedon fradei, Platysaurus maculatus maculatus, and Platysaurus maculatus lineicauda. The collection was abandoned in the early years of 2000s and was at risk of being lost. In this paper the entire collection is reviewed, a catalogue provided of the extant specimens, and a brief account of the history of herpetological research at IICT given. Details are also provided on the recovery of the collection and a protocol to rescue abandoned collections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis M.P. Ceríaco
- Museu de História Natural e da Ciência da Universidade do Porto, Praça Gomes Teixeira 4099-002 Porto, PortugalUniversidade de LisboaLisboaPortugal
- Departamento de Zoologia e Antropologia (Museu Bocage), Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência, Universidade de Lisboa, Rua da Escola Politécnica, 58, 1269-102 Lisboa, PortugalMuseu de História Natural e da Ciência da Universidade do PortoPortoPortugal
| | - Diogo Parrinha
- Departamento de Zoologia e Antropologia (Museu Bocage), Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência, Universidade de Lisboa, Rua da Escola Politécnica, 58, 1269-102 Lisboa, PortugalMuseu de História Natural e da Ciência da Universidade do PortoPortoPortugal
| | - Mariana P. Marques
- Departamento de Zoologia e Antropologia (Museu Bocage), Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência, Universidade de Lisboa, Rua da Escola Politécnica, 58, 1269-102 Lisboa, PortugalMuseu de História Natural e da Ciência da Universidade do PortoPortoPortugal
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos (CIBIO), InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Rua Padre Armando Quintas 7, Vairão, 4485-661 Porto, PortugalUniversidade do PortoPortoPortugal
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Ganesh S, Punith K, Adhikari OD, Achyuthan N. A new species of shieldtail snake (Squamata: Uropeltidae: Uropeltis) from the Bengaluru uplands, India. JOURNAL OF THREATENED TAXA 2021. [DOI: 10.11609/jott.6736.13.6.18508-18517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
A new species of shieldtail snake, Uropeltis jerdoni, is here described based on eight specimens from Devarayana Durga and Nandi Durga that are under-researched hills near Bengaluru in southern India. The new species is a member of the Uropeltis ceylanica group that can be distinguished from related taxa as follows: a truncate and flattened caudal shield with a circumscribed concave disc; part of rostral visible from above subequal to its distance from frontal; rostral partially separating nasal scales; 17: 17: 17 dorsal scale rows; 140–148 ventral scales; 7–9 pairs of subcaudals; dark blackish-grey above, powdered with minute yellow specks, yellow lateral stripes on neck and tail; ventrolateral region with yellow mottling; venter black. This new species is currently known only from two ranges Devarayana Durga and Nandi Durga but judging by the presence of similar, adjacent massifs, is hypothesized to be present in nearby hillocks surrounding Bengaluru City.
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Chomdej S, Pradit W, Suwannapoom C, Pawangkhanant P, Nganvongpanit K, Poyarkov NA, Che J, Gao Y, Gong S. Phylogenetic analyses of distantly related clades of bent-toed geckos (genus Cyrtodactylus) reveal an unprecedented amount of cryptic diversity in northern and western Thailand. Sci Rep 2021; 11:2328. [PMID: 33504821 PMCID: PMC7840752 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70640-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyrtodactylus species are the most diverse of the geckos and are widely distributed in Southeast Asia, including Thailand. However, their patterns of distribution, especially in northern and western parts of Thailand, remain unknown because few Cyrtodactylus species in these regions have been described. Thus, a data set of mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase 2 (ND2) gene and flanking tRNAs from Cyrtodactylus found in northern and western Thailand, including contiguous areas, was assembled to elucidate phylogenetic relationships and identify the distribution patterns of these geckos. The results showed four well-supported clades, a northwestern clade (A), a northern clade (B), a western clade (C), and a special clade characterized by specific morphological features (D). Clades A-C were grouped with strong support by the geography of their localities from northern Thailand (Mae Hong Son and Chiang Mai Provinces) along the Tenasserim mountain ranges to Phang-Nga Province, Thailand. Clade D is a distinct clade of Cyrtodactylus species characterized by a tuberculate and prehensile tail and distributed widely in mainland Southeast Asia. Overall, the results suggest a pattern of geographic separation and distribution of Cyrtodactylus in northern and western Thailand. Additionally, this study provides evidence of a hidden biodiversity of Cyrtodactylus in these regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siriwadee Chomdej
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand.
- Research Center in Bioresources for Agriculture, Industry and Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand.
| | - Waranee Pradit
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
| | | | - Parinya Pawangkhanant
- School of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Phayao, Phayao, 56000, Thailand
| | - Korakot Nganvongpanit
- Department of Veterinary Bioscience and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50100, Thailand
- Excellence Center in Veterinary Bioscience, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
| | - Nikolay A Poyarkov
- Biological Faculty, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia, 119234
- Laboratory of Tropical Ecology, Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Research and Technological Center, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Jing Che
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, Yunnan, China
- Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yezin, Nay Pyi Taw, 05282, Myanmar
| | - Yangchun Gao
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangdong Academy of Science, Guangzhou, 510260, Guangdong, China
| | - Shiping Gong
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangdong Academy of Science, Guangzhou, 510260, Guangdong, China.
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Sidharthan C, Karanth KP. India's biogeographic history through the eyes of blindsnakes- filling the gaps in the global typhlopoid phylogeny. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2020; 157:107064. [PMID: 33387646 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2020.107064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2020] [Revised: 12/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The Indian subcontinent's unique geological history is reflected in the diverse assemblage of its biota. The blindsnake superfamily Typhlopoidea, with its unique mix of ancient as well as younger lineages in Asia, provides an opportunity to understand the various biotic exchange scenarios proposed for the Indian landmass. In this study, we aim to understand the biogeographic origins of the four genera of typhlopoids found in India and to decipher their times and modes of arrival in the subcontinent. Five nuclear markers were sequenced for 12 samples collected from across India, encompassing all four genera under study. Published sequences of typhlopoid genera were compiled and combined with Indian sequences to generate a global dataset. Phylogenetic relationships were reconstructed using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods. Divergence times were estimated using BEAST 1.8.2. Ancestral geographical ranges were estimated using DEC + J, implemented in BioGeoBEARS. Divergence time estimates suggest that Gerrhopilus is an ancient lineage, and the lineage leading to it was present on the Indian landmass since the last 100 million years. The other three genera are more recent dispersals into India, possibly trans-oceanic. Biogeographic reconstructions suggest an East Gondwanan origin for Typhlopoidea, an African origin for Grypotyphlops and an Asian origin for Indotyphlops and Argyrophis. It appears that India harbours a combination of ancient and more recently dispersed lineages of typhlopoids. The genus Gerrhopilus is of Gondwanan origin that likely dispersed out of India into Southeast Asia. The other genera are intrusive elements that dispersed into India from Africa (Grypotyphlops) and Asia (Indotyphlops and possibly Argyrophis) post break-up of Gondwana. Thus, our study provides further evidence on the ability of blindsnakes to undergo long distance trans-oceanic dispersal. Results also suggest an Asian origin for typhlopoids from Australasia, Philippines and Wallacea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chinta Sidharthan
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India.
| | - K Praveen Karanth
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
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Ganesh S, S. B, P. Karthik, Babu Rao, S. Babu. Catalogue of herpetological specimens from peninsular India at the Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology & Natural History (SACON), India. JOURNAL OF THREATENED TAXA 2020. [DOI: 10.11609/jott.6036.12.9.16123-16135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
We list the herpetological voucher specimens in the holdings of the Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology & Natural History (SACON), a wildlife research institute in India. Most of the collections are the fruition of fieldwork by SACON’s herpetologist and a coauthor of this work—late Dr. Subramanian Bhupathy (1963–2014). Taxonomically, the collection represents 125 species, comprising 29 amphibian species belonging to eight families and 96 reptilian species belonging to 17 families. Geographically, the material in this collection originates from the Western Ghats, the Eastern Ghats, the Deccan Plateau, and the Coromandel Coast, comprehensively covering all ecoregions of peninsular India. A total of 15 taxa (three amphibians, 12 reptiles) remain to be fully identified and are provisionally referred to most-resembling taxa, with cf. prefix. All the specimens in this collection are non-types as on date.
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Agarwal I, Thackeray T, Pal S, Khandekar A. Granite boulders act as deep‐time climate refugia: A Miocene divergent clade of rupicolous
Cnemaspis
Strauch, 1887 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the Mysore Plateau, India, with descriptions of three new species. J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ishan Agarwal
- Thackeray Wildlife Foundation Mumbai India
- National Centre for Biological Sciences Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Bengaluru India
| | | | - Saunak Pal
- Centre for Ecological Sciences Indian Institute of Science Bangalore India
- Bombay Natural History Society Mumbai India
| | - Akshay Khandekar
- Thackeray Wildlife Foundation Mumbai India
- National Centre for Biological Sciences Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Bengaluru India
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Ganesh S, Achyuthan N. A new species of shieldtail snake (Reptilia: Squamata: Uropeltidae) from Kolli Hill complex, southern Eastern Ghats, peninsular India. JOURNAL OF THREATENED TAXA 2020. [DOI: 10.11609/jott.5680.12.4.15436-15442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
We describe a new species of shieldtail (uropeltid) snake, Uropeltis rajendrani sp. nov., from the Kolli Hill complex of the southern Eastern Ghats in Tamil Nadu, India. The new species belongs to the U. ceylanica group and is differentiated from related species in having 16–17:16–17:15–16 dorsal scale rows; 145–158 ventral scales; 8–11 pairs of subcaudals; dorsum uniform brown, anteriorly powdered with yellow mottling; venter brown, scales outlined with yellow. This endemic species with a restricted range is known only from atop Kolli Hill complex, inhabiting higher elevation (> 900m) evergreen forests, where it is the only known member of this genus.
Allopatric species, endemism, isolated massif, Uropeltis rajendrani sp. nov., Western Ghats.
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