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Poulin R, Presswell B. Nomenclatural stability and the longevity of helminth species names. Syst Parasitol 2024; 101:34. [PMID: 38700784 PMCID: PMC11068675 DOI: 10.1007/s11230-024-10161-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
Although most Latin binomial names of species are valid, many are eventually unaccepted when they are found to be synonyms of previously described species, or superseded by a new combination when the species they denote are moved to a different genus. What proportion of parasite species names become unaccepted over time, and how long does it take for incorrect names to become unaccepted? Here, we address these questions using a dataset comprising thousands of species names of parasitic helminths from four higher taxa (Acanthocephala, Nematoda, Cestoda, and Trematoda). Overall, among species names proposed in the past two-and-a-half centuries, nearly one-third have since been unaccepted, the most common reason being that they have been superseded by a new combination. A greater proportion of older names (proposed pre-1950) have since been unaccepted compared to names proposed more recently, however most taxonomic acts leading to species names being unaccepted (through either synonymy or reclassification) occurred in the past few decades. Overall, the average longevity of helminth species names that are currently unaccepted was 29 years; although many remained in use for over 100 years, about 50% of the total were invalidated within 20 years of first being proposed. The patterns observed were roughly the same for all four higher helminth taxa considered here. Our results provide a quantitative illustration of the self-correcting nature of parasite taxonomy, and can also help to calibrate future estimates of total parasite biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Poulin
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand.
| | - Bronwen Presswell
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand
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2
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Ahrens D. Species Diagnosis and DNA Taxonomy. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2744:33-52. [PMID: 38683310 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3581-0_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
The use of DNA has helped to improve and speed up species identification and delimitation. However, it also provides new challenges to taxonomists. Incongruence of outcome from various markers and delimitation methods, bias from sampling and skewed species distribution, implemented models, and the choice of methods/priors may mislead results and also may, in conclusion, increase elements of subjectivity in species taxonomy. The lack of direct diagnostic outcome from most contemporary molecular delimitation approaches and the need for a reference to existing and best sampled trait reference systems reveal the need for refining the criteria of species diagnosis and diagnosability in the current framework of nomenclature codes and good practices to avoid nomenclatorial instability, parallel taxonomies, and consequently more and new taxonomic impediment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dirk Ahrens
- Museum A. Koenig Bonn, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Bonn, Germany.
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3
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Sandall EL, Maureaud AA, Guralnick R, McGeoch MA, Sica YV, Rogan MS, Booher DB, Edwards R, Franz N, Ingenloff K, Lucas M, Marsh CJ, McGowan J, Pinkert S, Ranipeta A, Uetz P, Wieczorek J, Jetz W. A globally integrated structure of taxonomy to support biodiversity science and conservation. Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:1143-1153. [PMID: 37684131 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
All aspects of biodiversity research, from taxonomy to conservation, rely on data associated with species names. Effective integration of names across multiple fields is paramount and depends on the coordination and organization of taxonomic data. We assess current efforts and find that even key applications for well-studied taxa still lack commonality in taxonomic information required for integration. We identify essential taxonomic elements from our interoperability assessment to support improved access and integration of taxonomic data. A stronger focus on these elements has the potential to involve taxonomic communities in biodiversity science and overcome broken linkages currently limiting research capacity. We encourage a community effort to democratize taxonomic expertise and language in order to facilitate maximum interoperability and integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily L Sandall
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Center for Biodiversity & Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
| | - Aurore A Maureaud
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Center for Biodiversity & Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
| | - Robert Guralnick
- Department of Natural History, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Melodie A McGeoch
- Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future, Department of Environment and Genetics, LaTrobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Yanina V Sica
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Center for Biodiversity & Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Matthew S Rogan
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Center for Biodiversity & Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Douglas B Booher
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Center for Biodiversity & Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Robert Edwards
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Center for Biodiversity & Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Nico Franz
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Kate Ingenloff
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Center for Biodiversity & Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Maisha Lucas
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Center for Biodiversity & Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Charles J Marsh
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Center for Biodiversity & Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Jennifer McGowan
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Center for Biodiversity & Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA, USA
| | - Stefan Pinkert
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Center for Biodiversity & Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Department of Conservation Ecology, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Ajay Ranipeta
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Center for Biodiversity & Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Peter Uetz
- Center for Biological Data Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - John Wieczorek
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Walter Jetz
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Center for Biodiversity & Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation, Durham, NC, USA
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4
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Harris DJ, Xavier R. Name and shame: can taxonomists agree on systematic reforms? Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:1022-1023. [PMID: 37633726 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
The Linnean nomenclatural system dominates in taxonomy, despite various ethical issues being raised regarding the rules applied to this approach. Some recent proposals to adapt the system have been dismissed as destabilizing by many taxonomists. However, simple rule changes and amendments to address these issues could be implemented without excessive disruption.
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Affiliation(s)
- D James Harris
- BIOPOLIS-CIBIO-InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661, Portugal.
| | - Raquel Xavier
- BIOPOLIS-CIBIO-InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661, Portugal
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Dufresnes C, Poyarkov N, Jablonski D. Acknowledging more biodiversity without more species. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2302424120. [PMID: 37748058 PMCID: PMC10556632 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2302424120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Delimiting and naming biodiversity is a vital step toward wildlife conservation and research. However, species delimitation must be consistent across biota so that the limited resources available for nature protection can be spent effectively and objectively. To date, newly discovered lineages typically are either left undescribed and thus remain unprotected or are being erroneously proposed as new species despite mixed evidence for completed speciation, in turn contributing to the emerging problem of taxonomic inflation. Inspired by recent conceptual and methodological progress, we propose a standardized workflow for species delimitation that combines phylogenetic and hybrid zone analyses of genomic datasets ("genomic taxonomy"), in which phylogeographic lineages that do not freely admix are ranked as species, while those that have remained fully genetically compatible are ranked as subspecies. In both cases, we encourage their formal taxonomic naming, diagnosis, and description to promote social awareness toward biodiversity. The use of loci throughout the genome overcomes the unreliability of widely used barcoding genes when phylogeographic patterns are complex, while the evaluation of divergence and reproductive isolation unifies the long-opposed concepts of lineage species and biological species. We suggest that a shift in conservation assessments from a single level (species) toward a two-level hierarchy (species and subspecies) will lead to a more balanced perception of biodiversity in which both intraspecific and interspecific diversity are valued and more adequately protected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Dufresnes
- Laboratory of Amphibian Systematics and Evolutionary Research, College of Biology and Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing210037, People’s Republic of China
| | - Nikolay Poyarkov
- Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Research and Technological Center, Hanoi122000, Vietnam
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow119234, Russia
| | - Daniel Jablonski
- Department of Zoology, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava84215, Slovakia
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Oliver PM, Donnellan SC, Gunn BF. Plio–Pleistocene vicariance across arid Australia in the ‘Spiny Knob-tailed Geckos’ (. AUST J ZOOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1071/zo22008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Across Australia’s monsoon tropics and vast arid zone isolated regions or ‘islands’ of upland or rocky habitat are home to disjunct populations of many taxa of plants and animals. Comparative analyses of lineages that occur across these habitat islands provide opportunities to understand when and how environmental change drove isolation and diversification across arid Australia. Here we present an analysis of mitochondrial genetic diversity across disjunct populations of geckos in the Nephrurus asper group. Dating analyses suggest that disjunct and genetically divergent populations spanning the northern half of Australia diverged through the Plio–Pleistocene. Based on the timing of divergence and current habitat associations we hypothesise that species in this lineage were isolated by the expansion of unsuitable arid-zone habitats from the late Pliocene onwards. Across most areas, these barriers appear to be sandy or stony deserts. However, in eastern Australia genetically divergent populations are separated by grassland on flat vertisol-dominated soils (‘blacksoils’), suggesting that these habitats also expanded during the late Pliocene aridification. Finally, we show that western Queensland populations formerly referred to N. asper are genetically divergent and diagnosable on the basis of colour pattern and, herein, recognise these populations as a distinct species. https://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9508CAAA-D014-452D-A3DA-325851615FA7
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7
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Salvador RB, Cavallari DC, Rands D, Tomotani BM. Publication practice in Taxonomy: Global inequalities and potential bias against negative results. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0269246. [PMID: 35648765 PMCID: PMC9159550 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
There is broad recognition by practicing taxonomists that the field is going through a crisis, which has been dubbed the “taxonomic impediment”. There are many aspects involved in said crisis, but publication practices in taxonomy are often neglected or relegated to the backseat. We provide an initial foray into this topic via a worldwide survey with taxonomists, spanning all botanical and zoological groups, and career stages. Demographically, most of the respondents identified themselves as males (70%), working in Europe or North America (68%), in universities (50%) or museums (27%). Over half of the respondents are established/late-career researchers (only about 25% of full professors were female), with a low number of early-career researchers and graduate students (i.e., taxonomists in training). Nearly 61% of the men acquired their highest title at least eleven years ago, while only 41% of the women did so. Nearly 92% of the respondents have published new species descriptions, while around 60% and 26% have synonymized, respectively, species-level or subspecies-level taxa. In general, respondents perceive the act of describing new species to be easier than synonymizing species (p = 0.05). Established/late-career researchers and male researchers, particularly in Oceania and North America, found it easier to publish nomenclatural acts such as new species descriptions, while early-career researchers had their acts contested more often. Our results reaffirm the low academic recognition of the field, the lack of funding for research and publishing charges especially in the Global South, and the difficulty in finding specialized outlets (and the low impact factor of those journals) as persistent issues in taxonomy. Other significant problems raised by respondents include ethical issues in the peer-review process, a bias against newcomers in the field coming either from established researchers or committees, and taxonomic vandalism.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel Caracanhas Cavallari
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Departamento de Biologia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Douglas Rands
- Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, New Zealand
- Victoria University of Wellington, School of Biological Sciences, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Barbara Mizumo Tomotani
- Animal Ecology Department, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, Gelderland, The Netherlands
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8
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A century of stasis: Taxonomy of Ctenomys (Rodentia: Hystricomorpha) populations in northeastern Patagonia limits, Argentina. ZOOL ANZ 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2022.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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9
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Poyarkov NA, Nguyen TV, Pawangkhanant P, Yushchenko PV, Brakels P, Nguyen LH, Nguyen HN, Suwannapoom C, Orlov N, Vogel G. An integrative taxonomic revision of slug-eating snakes (Squamata: Pareidae: Pareineae) reveals unprecedented diversity in Indochina. PeerJ 2022; 10:e12713. [PMID: 35047234 PMCID: PMC8757378 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Slug-eating snakes of the subfamily Pareinae are an insufficiently studied group of snakes specialized in feeding on terrestrial mollusks. Currently Pareinae encompass three genera with 34 species distributed across the Oriental biogeographic region. Despite the recent significant progress in understanding of Pareinae diversity, the subfamily remains taxonomically challenging. Here we present an updated phylogeny of the subfamily with a comprehensive taxon sampling including 30 currently recognized Pareinae species and several previously unknown candidate species and lineages. Phylogenetic analyses of mtDNA and nuDNA data supported the monophyly of the three genera Asthenodipsas, Aplopeltura, and Pareas. Within both Asthenodipsas and Pareas our analyses recovered deep differentiation with each genus being represented by two morphologically diagnosable clades, which we treat as subgenera. We further apply an integrative taxonomic approach, including analyses of molecular and morphological data, along with examination of available type materials, to address the longstanding taxonomic questions of the subgenus Pareas, and reveal the high level of hidden diversity of these snakes in Indochina. We restrict the distribution of P. carinatus to southern Southeast Asia, and recognize two subspecies within it, including one new subspecies proposed for the populations from Thailand and Myanmar. We further revalidate P. berdmorei, synonymize P. menglaensis with P. berdmorei, and recognize three subspecies within this taxon, including the new subspecies erected for the populations from Laos and Vietnam. Furthermore, we describe two new species of Pareas from Vietnam: one belonging to the P. carinatus group from southern Vietnam, and a new member of the P. nuchalis group from the central Vietnam. We provide new data on P. temporalis, and report on a significant range extension for P. nuchalis. Our phylogeny, along with molecular clock and ancestral area analyses, reveal a complex diversification pattern of Pareinae involving a high degree of sympatry of widespread and endemic species. Our analyses support the "upstream" colonization hypothesis and, thus, the Pareinae appears to have originated in Sundaland during the middle Eocene and then colonized mainland Asia in early Oligocene. Sundaland and Eastern Indochina appear to have played the key roles as the centers of Pareinae diversification. Our results reveal that both vicariance and dispersal are responsible for current distribution patterns of Pareinae, with tectonic movements, orogeny and paleoclimatic shifts being the probable drivers of diversification. Our study brings the total number of Pareidae species to 41 and further highlights the importance of comprehensive taxonomic revisions not only for the better understanding of biodiversity and its evolution, but also for the elaboration of adequate conservation actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolay A. Poyarkov
- Laboratory of Tropical Ecology, Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Research and Technological Center, Hanoi, Vietnam,Faculty of Biology, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Tan Van Nguyen
- Department of Species Conservation, Save Vietnam’s Wildlife, Ninh Binh, Vietnam
| | - Parinya Pawangkhanant
- Division of Fishery, School of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Phayao, Phayao, Thailand
| | - Platon V. Yushchenko
- Faculty of Biology, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Linh Hoang Nguyen
- Department of Zoology, Southern Institute of Ecology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Hung Ngoc Nguyen
- Department of Zoology, Southern Institute of Ecology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Chatmongkon Suwannapoom
- Division of Fishery, School of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Phayao, Phayao, Thailand
| | - Nikolai Orlov
- Department of Herpetology, Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Gernot Vogel
- Society for Southeast Asian Herpetology, Heidelberg, Germany
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10
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Towards a global list of accepted species II. Consequences of inadequate taxonomic list governance. ORG DIVERS EVOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s13127-021-00518-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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11
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Shea GM. Nomenclature of supra-generic units within the Family Scincidae (Squamata). Zootaxa 2021; 5067:301-351. [PMID: 34810739 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5067.3.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
The modern classification of skinks is based on a nomenclature that dates to the 1970s. However, there are a number of earlier names in the family group that have been overlooked by recent workers. These names are identified and their validity with respect to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature investigated, along with their type genera. In most cases, use of these names to supplant junior synonyms in modern day use is avoidable by use of the Reversal of Precedence articles of the Code, but the names remain available in case of future divisions at the tribe and subtribe level. Other names are unavailable due to homonymy, either of their type genera or the stems from similar but non-homonymous type genera. However, the name Egerniini is replaced by Tiliquini, due to a limited timespan of use of Egerniini. A new classification of the Family Scincidae is proposed, providing a more extensive use of Code-regulated levels of classification, including tribes and subtribes, and a detailed synonymy provided for each taxonomic unit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glenn M Shea
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science B01, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, 1 William St, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia .
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