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Termprayoon K, Rujirawan A, Grismer LL, Wood Jr PL, Aowphol A. Two new karst-adapted species in the Cyrtodactyluspulchellus group (Reptilia, Gekkonidae) from southern Thailand. Zookeys 2023; 1179:313-352. [PMID: 37745621 PMCID: PMC10514696 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1179.109712] [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: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The exploration of unsurveyed areas in southern Thailand discovered two new karst-adapted species, Cyrtodactylussungaiupesp. nov. and Cyrtodactyluswangkhramensissp. nov., from Thung Wa and La-ngu Districts, Satun Province, respectively. These new species are members of the C.pulchellus group that occur along the Thai-Malay Peninsula. The new species can be distinguished from all other congeners by their key morphological characters and genetic divergence. Morphologically, Cyrtodactylussungaiupesp. nov. and Cyrtodactyluswangkhramensissp. nov. can be diagnosed from other members by having a combination of differences in body size; degree of dorsal tuberculation; absence of tubercles on ventral surfaces; number of ventral scales, paravertebral tubercles and femoroprecloacal pores in males only; deep precloacal groove only in males; absence of a scattered pattern of white dorsal tubercles; number of dark body bands; and the extent of caudal tubercles on an original tail. Although the two species are sister taxa and have nearly identical morphologies, they are considered to be different species, based on a relatively high uncorrected pairwise genetic divergence of the mitochondrial ND2 gene (6.59-6.89%), statistically significant univariate and multivariate morphological differences (PERMANOVA and ANOVA) and diagnostic characteristics of caudal tuberculation on the original tail. Moreover, Cyrtodactylussungaiupesp. nov. and Cyrtodactyluswangkhramensissp. nov. are currently restricted to their karstic type localities which may serve as a geographic barrier to dispersal and gene flow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Korkhwan Termprayoon
- Animal Systematics and Ecology Speciality Research Unit, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Attapol Rujirawan
- Animal Systematics and Ecology Speciality Research Unit, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - L. Lee Grismer
- Biodiversity Center, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Herpetology Laboratory, Department of Biology, La Sierra University, 4500 Riverwalk Parkway, Riverside, California 92515, USA
- Department of Herpetology, San Diego Natural History Museum, PO Box 121390, San Diego, California, 92112, USA
| | - Perry L. Wood Jr
- Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Anchalee Aowphol
- Animal Systematics and Ecology Speciality Research Unit, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
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Quah ESH, Grismer LL, Syafiq MF, Rujirawan A, Aowphol A, Ahmad AB, Anuar MSS. Comments on the taxonomic status of Cyrtodactylus zebraicus Taylor, 1962 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Northern Peninsular Malaysia. Zootaxa 2023; 5318:489-503. [PMID: 37518264 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5318.4.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
The taxonomic status of Cyrtodactylus zebraicus in Peninsular Malaysia has been plagued with uncertainty over the last three decades owing to a lack of vouchered material. Recent collections confirmed the presence of this species in the northernmost state of Perlis and for the country. An expanded description of the newly collected Peninsular Malaysian specimens as well as the holotype of C. zebraicus is provided along with a comparison with other Cyrtodactylus species in the country. This study adds to the growing number of herpetofaunal species with Indo-Burmese affinities discovered in northern states of the country and the biogeographic importance of this region for the exchange of fauna and flora. The findings also highlight the importance of continued field work along the biogeographic interchange of the Banjaran Nakawan that separates southwestern Thailand from northwestern Peninsular Malaysia and the need to sample and collect voucher specimens that can be deposited in proper scientific collections for current and future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan S H Quah
- Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation; Universiti Malaysia Sabah; Jalan UMS; 88400; Kota Kinabalu; Sabah; Malaysia; Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum; National University of Singapore; 2 Conservatory Drive; Singapore 117377.
| | - L Lee Grismer
- Herpetology Laboratory; Department of Biology; La Sierra University; 4500 Riverwalk Parkway; Riverside; California 92515; USA; Department of Herpetology; San Diego Natural History Museum; PO Box 121390; San Diego; California; 92112; USA.
| | - Muhamad Fatihah Syafiq
- Faculty of Science and Marine Environment; Universiti Malaysia Terengganu; 21030 Kuala Nerus; Terengganu; Malaysia.
| | - Attapol Rujirawan
- Animal Systematics and Ecology Speciality Research Unit; Department of Zoology; Faculty of Science; Kasetsart University; Bangkok 10900; Thailand.
| | - Anchalee Aowphol
- Animal Systematics and Ecology Speciality Research Unit; Department of Zoology; Faculty of Science; Kasetsart University; Bangkok 10900; Thailand.
| | - Amirrudin B Ahmad
- Faculty of Science and Marine Environment; Universiti Malaysia Terengganu; 21030 Kuala Nerus; Terengganu; Malaysia; Institute of Tropical Biodiversity and Sustainable Development; Universiti Malaysia Terengganu; 21030 Kuala Nerus; Terengganu; Malaysia.
| | - M S Shahrul Anuar
- School of Biological Sciences; Universiti Sains Malaysia; 11800 Minden; Penang; Malaysia; Center for Marine and Coastal Studies; Universiti Sains Malaysia; 11800 USM; Pulau Pinang; Malaysia.
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Grismer LL, Aowphol A, Yodthong S, Ampai N, Termprayoon K, Aksornneam A, Rujirawan A. Integrative taxonomy delimits and diagnoses cryptic arboreal species of the Cyrtodactylusbrevipalmatus group (Squamata, Gekkonidae) with descriptions of four new species from Thailand. Zookeys 2022; 1129:109-162. [PMID: 36761846 PMCID: PMC9836718 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1129.90535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Species delimitation and species diagnosis must remain separate operations to avoid constructing taxonomies comprised of non-monophyletic species based on morphological similarity as opposed to phylogenetic propinquity. This is particularly true for highly specialized species such as the range-restricted upland taxa in the Cyrtodactylusbrevipalmatus group of Indochina where strong selection pressure for an arboreal lifestyle has contributed to morphologically similar but distantly related species. This in turn, has resulted in a history of erroneous taxonomies that have actually obscured rather than revealed the diversity within this group. A Bayesian phylogeny of the C.brevipalmatus group recovered at least 15 putative species-level lineages, at least seven of which are undescribed, and of which four are described herein. A total evidence morphological data set comprised of 16 normalized morphometric, 15 meristic, and seven categorical characters scored across 51 individuals was subjected to a multiple factor analysis (MFA) and an analysis of variance (ANOVA) to diagnose the putative species. These new species descriptions contribute to focusing attention to the unrealized diversity in upland tropical ecosystems, which due to climate change, are some of the most impearled ecosystems on the planet. Thus, it is paramount that taxonomies do not conflate species identities and underrepresent true diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- L. Lee Grismer
- Herpetology Laboratory, Department of Biology, La Sierra University, 4500 Riverwalk Parkway, Riverside, California 92505, USALa Sierra UniversityRiversideUnited States of America,Department of Herpetology, San Diego Natural History Museum, PO Box 121390, San Diego, California, 92112, USADepartment of Herpetology, San Diego Natural History MuseumSan DiegoUnited States of America
| | - Anchalee Aowphol
- Animal Systematics and Ecology Speciality Research Unit, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, ThailandKasetsart UniversityBangkokThailand
| | - Siriporn Yodthong
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Thaksin University, Pa Phayom, Phattalung 93210, ThailandThaksin UniversityPhattalungThailand
| | - Natee Ampai
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok 10110, ThailandSrinakharinwirot UniversityBangkokThailand
| | - Korkhwan Termprayoon
- Animal Systematics and Ecology Speciality Research Unit, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, ThailandKasetsart UniversityBangkokThailand
| | - Akrachai Aksornneam
- Animal Systematics and Ecology Speciality Research Unit, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, ThailandKasetsart UniversityBangkokThailand
| | - Attapol Rujirawan
- Animal Systematics and Ecology Speciality Research Unit, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, ThailandKasetsart UniversityBangkokThailand
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Rujirawan A, Yodthong S, Ampai N, Termprayoon K, Aksornneam A, Stuart BL, Aowphol A. A new rock gecko in the Cnemaspis siamensis group (Reptilia, Gekkonidae) from Kanchanaburi Province, western Thailand. ZOOSYST EVOL 2022. [DOI: 10.3897/zse.98.89591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We describe a new species of the gekkonid genus Cnemaspis from Erawan National Park in Kanchanaburi Province of western Thailand. Molecular phylogenetic analyses, based on the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 gene and flanking tRNAs, revealed that Cnemaspis auriventralissp. nov. is nested within the C. siamensis group and is closely related to C. huaseesom, but has uncorrected pairwise genetic divergences of 12.12–27.92% from all other species in the C. siamensis group. The new species is also distinguished from other species in the C. siamensis group by having the combination of snout-vent length 36.7–38.6 mm in males (N = 3), 32.9–36.9 mm in females (N = 2); eight to ten supralabials; seven to nine infralabials; ventral scales smooth; six or seven precloacal pores in males; 16–17 paravertebral tubercles linearly arranged; tubercles on the lower flanks present; lateral caudal furrows present; no caudal tubercles in the lateral furrows; ventrolateral caudal tubercles present anteriorly; caudal tubercles not encircling tail; subcaudals smooth bearing a single median row of enlarged smooth scales; two postcloacal tubercles on each side; no shield-like subtibial scales; subtibial scales smooth; no enlarged submetatarsal scales; 23–27 subdigital lamellae on the fourth toe; sexually dimorphic for dorsal and ventral colour pattern; prescapular marking absent; gular marking absent; and yellow colouration in life of all ventral surfaces of head, body and tail in adult males. The new species is currently known only from upland karst habitat at its type locality.
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