scholarly journals On the taxonomic recognition of skinks from the Guadeloupe Archipelago (Squamata, Mabuyidae, Mabuya)

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
S. Blair Hedges ◽  
Olivier Lorvelec ◽  
Nicolas Barré ◽  
Nicolas Vidal ◽  
Claudie Pavis
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Analysis ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Data Handling ◽  
Incorrect Conclusion

The six species of mabuyid lizards (skinks) of the Guadeloupe Archipelago are Capitellum mariagalantae, Mabuya cochonae, M. desiradae, M. grandisterrae, M. guadeloupae, and M. parviterrae. All are critically endangered and four may be extinct, primarily from predation by introduced mammals. These six species were described in recent years from molecular and morphological analyses. Miralles et al. (2017, Bulletin de la Société Herpétologique de France, 163, 67–84) has challenged the taxonomy, claiming that the six species cannot be diagnosed from each other, and recognized only a single species, Mabuya desiradae. We find that their study contains errors that led them to that incorrect conclusion, including a probable data handling error in the molecular analysis and the use of non-diagnostic morphological characters.

scholarly journals Molecular and morphological analyses support recognition of Prostanthera volucris (Lamiaceae), a new species from the Central Tablelands of New South Wales

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan P. O'Donnell ◽  
Jeremy J. Bruhl ◽  
Ian R.H. Telford ◽  
Trevor C. Wilson ◽  
Heidi C. Zimmer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Evolutionary Relationship ◽  
Distinct Species ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Line Drawings ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Neighbour Network

Research into the systematics of Prostanthera has recently revealed a close evolutionary relationship among P. phylicifolia s. str., the critically endangered P. gilesii, and a population of uncertain identity from the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. Previous analyses were unable to establish whether genetic boundaries separated these taxa. This study aimed to assess the species boundaries among these three taxa using a combination of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) sampled at the population-scale and multivariate analysis of morphological characters. Non-parametric and parametric statistics, neighbour-network analysis, phylogenetic analysis, and ancestry coefficient estimates all provided support for discrete genetic differences between the three taxa. Morphological phenetic analysis identified a suite of characters that distinguished each of these taxa. This corroboration of evidence supports the presence of three independently evolving lineages. Prostanthera gilesii and P. phylicifolia s. str. are distinct species independent from the third taxon which is described here as P. volucris R.P.O'Donnell. A detailed description, diagnostic line drawings and photographs are provided. We evaluate P. volucris as satisfying criteria to be considered Critically Endangered.

scholarly journals Pternopetalum paucifoliolatum (Apiaceae), a new Critically Endangered species from Sichuan, China

PhytoKeys ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 166 ◽  
pp. 97-103
Author(s):  
Jian-Fei Ye ◽  
Liang Chen ◽  
Zhang-Jian Shan ◽  
Xiao-Jie Li ◽  
Ce-Hong Li
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Endangered Species ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Sichuan Province ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Full Description ◽  
Distribution Map ◽  
Critically Endangered Species ◽  
A New Species

Pternopetalum paucifoliolatum, a new species from Sixigou Scenic Area, Emeishan City, Sichuan Province, is proposed and described. Diagnostic morphological characters, full description, detailed illustrations, and a distribution map are provided. The new species is similar to P. porphyronotum in possessing the 1-pinnate leaves and the abaxially purple-red leaflets, but differs from the latter by shorter stature, fewer leaflets ((1–) 3–7) and rays (5–8), the leaflet margin white-ciliate. The new species, which is assessed as Critically Endangered (CR), was only found on limestone cliffs. We also provide a new key to the species of Pternopetalum.

scholarly journals Euphorbia adenoplicata, a New Species of Euphorbia sect. Crossadenia from Brazil

2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-136
Author(s):  
Otávio Luis Marques da Silva ◽  
Guilherme Medeiros Antar ◽  
Ricarda Riina ◽  
Inês Cordeiro
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Middle Portion ◽  
Cerrado Biome ◽  
A New Species

Abstract—A new species, Euphorbia adenoplicata, is here described and illustrated. The species was found in the vicinity of Serra Geral do Tocantins, close to the border of the states of Tocantins and Bahia, within the Cerrado biome, where it grows in cerrado rupestre (rocky savannah vegetation). Euphorbia adenoplicata is placed in Euphorbia sect. Crossadenia based on morphological characters. The species is unique within the section due to its cyathial glands with the margins folded in the middle portion, splitting each gland into two cavities. We compare the morphology and ecology of E. adenoplicata with E. sarcodes and other species of E. sect. Crossadenia subsect. Ephedropeplus. Finally, we recommend that E. adenoplicata be considered critically endangered due to its extreme rarity.

A molecular phylogeny of Callianassidae and related families (Crustacea : Decapoda : Axiidea) with morphological support

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Robles ◽  
Peter C. Dworschak ◽  
Darryl L. Felder ◽  
Gary C. B. Poore ◽  
Fernando L. Mantelatto
Keyword(s):  
Bayesian Analysis ◽  
Molecular Analysis ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Molecular Data ◽  
Total Evidence ◽  
Morphological Data ◽  
12S Rrna ◽  
New Genera ◽  
Key Species ◽  
The Family

The axiidean families Callianassidae and Ctenochelidae, sometimes treated together as Callianassoidea, are shown to represent a monophyletic taxon. It comprises 265 accepted species in 74 genera, twice this number of species if fossil taxa are included. The higher taxonomy of the group has proved difficult and fluid. In a molecular phylogenetic approach, we inferred evolutionary relationships from a maximum-likelihood (ML) and Bayesian analysis of four genes, mitochondrial 16S rRNA and 12S rRNA along with nuclear histone H3 and 18S rRNA. Our sample consisted of 298 specimens representing 123 species plus two species each of Axiidae and Callianideidae serving as outgroups. This number represented about half of all known species, but included 26 species undescribed or not confidently identified, 9% of all known. In a parallel morphological approach, the published descriptions of all species were examined and detailed observations made on about two-thirds of the known fauna in museum collections. A DELTA (Description Language for Taxonomy), database of 135 characters was made for 195 putative species, 18 of which were undescribed. A PAUP analysis found small clades coincident with the terminal clades found in the molecular treatment. Bayesian analysis of a total-evidence dataset combined elements of both molecular and morphological analyses. Clades were interpreted as seven families and 53 genera. Seventeen new genera are required to reflect the molecular and morphological phylograms. Relationships between the families and genera inferred from the two analyses differed between the two strategies in spite of retrospective searches for morphological features supporting intermediate clades. The family Ctenochelidae was recovered in both analyses but the monophyly of Paragourretia was not supported by molecular data. The hitherto well recognised family Eucalliacidae was found to be polyphyletic in the molecular analysis, but the family and its genera were well defined by morphological synapomorphies. The phylogram for Callianassidae suggested the isolation of several species from the genera to which they had traditionally been assigned and necessitated 12 new generic names. The same was true for Callichiridae, with stronger ML than Bayesian support, and five new genera are proposed. Morphological data did not reliably reflect generic relationships inferred from the molecular analysis though they did diagnose terminal taxa treated as genera. We conclude that discrepancies between molecular and morphological analyses are due at least in part to missing sequences for key species, but no less to our inability to recognise unambiguously informative morphological synapomorphies. The ML analysis revealed the presence of at least 10 complexes wherein 2–4 cryptic species masquerade under single species names.

Clinal Variation in Electrophoretic and Morphological Characters between Two Nominal Species of the Genus Pseudomugil (Pisces : Atheriniformes : Pseudomugilidae)

1979 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 375 ◽  
Author(s):  
AJ Hadfield ◽  
V Ivantsoff ◽  
PG Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Principal Components ◽  
Major Part ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Morphological Data ◽  
Nominal Species ◽  
Clinal Variation ◽  
Brackish Waters ◽  
Coastal Species ◽  
Eastern Australia

Electrophoretic and morphological comparisons were made between 14 populations representing the major part of the known range of the nominal fish species, Pseudomugil signifer Kner and Pseudomugil signatus (Gunther), described from the fresh and brackish waters of eastern Australia. Analysis by principal components was used to assess the morphological data. .Clinal variation revealed in 10 morphological characters and at two enzyme loci was found to bridge most of the previously described differences between species. The type material of P. signatus afinis from the Low Isles, Queensland, was re-examined and did not appear to differ morphologically from the coastal species. It is therefore suggested that the populations studied represent a single species Pseudomugil signifer Kner.

A new skink fauna from Caribbean islands (Squamata, Mabuyidae, Mabuyinae)

Zootaxa ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 3288 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. BLAIR HEDGES ◽  
CAITLIN E. CONN
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
South America ◽  
Reproductive Traits ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Glacial Cycles ◽  
Critically Endangered Species ◽  
Caribbean Islands ◽  
Island Species ◽  
Degree Of Convergence

Neotropical skinks are unique among lizards and other vertebrates in their degree of convergence, in reproductive traits,with eutherian mammals. They have also been famously difficult to classify into species, largely because of a conservativebody plan and paucity of conventional diagnostic characters. Currently there are 26 recognized species, six of which occuronly on Caribbean islands. All are placed in a single genus, Mabuya. We conducted a systematic revision of Neotropicalskinks using both conventional and unconventional morphological characters, supplemented by DNA sequence analyses.We define 61 species grouped into 16 clades, recognized here as genera. They include three available generic names(Copeoglossum, Mabuya, and Spondylurus) and 13 new genera: Alinea gen. nov., Aspronema gen. nov., Brasiliscincusgen. nov., Capitellum gen. nov., Exila gen. nov., Manciola gen. nov., Maracaiba gen. nov., Marisora gen. nov., Noto-mabuya gen. nov., Orosaura gen. nov., Panopa gen. nov., Psychosaura gen. nov., and Varzea gen. nov. These 16 generaof skinks form a monophyletic group and are placed in the Subfamily Mabuyinae of the skink Family Mabuyidae. Sixother skink families are recognized: Acontidae, Egerniidae, Eugongylidae, Lygosomidae, Scincidae, and Sphenomorphi-dae. We describe three new subfamilies of Mabuyidae: Chioniniinae subfam. nov., Dasiinae subfam. nov., and Trachyl-epidinae subfam. nov. We describe 24 new species of mabuyines: Capitellum mariagalantae sp. nov., Capitellumparvicruzae sp. nov., Copeoglossum aurae sp. nov., Copeoglossum margaritae sp. nov., Copeoglossum redondae sp.nov., Mabuya cochonae sp. nov., Mabuya desiradae sp. nov., Mabuya grandisterrae sp. nov., Mabuya guadeloupae sp.nov., Mabuya hispaniolae sp. nov., Mabuya montserratae sp. nov., Marisora aurulae sp. nov., Marisora magnacornaesp. nov., Marisora roatanae sp. nov., Spondylurus anegadae sp. nov., Spondylurus culebrae sp. nov., Spondylurus caico-sae sp. nov., Spondylurus haitiae sp. nov., Spondylurus magnacruzae sp. nov., Spondylurus martinae sp. nov., Spondy-lurus monae sp. nov., Spondylurus monitae sp. nov., Spondylurus powelli sp. nov., and Spondylurus turksae sp. nov. Wealso resurrect 10 species from synonymies: Alinea lanceolata comb. nov., Alinea luciae comb. nov., Capitellum metalli-cum comb. nov., Mabuya dominicana, Marisora alliacea comb. nov., Marisora brachypoda comb. nov., Spondylurusfulgidus comb. nov., Spondylurus nitidus comb. nov., Spondylurus semitaeniatus comb. nov., and Spondylurus spilonotuscomb. nov. Of the 61 total species of mabuyine skinks, 39 occur on Caribbean islands, 38 are endemic to those islands,and 33 of those occur in the West Indies. Most species on Caribbean islands are allopatric, single-island endemics, al-though three species are known from Hispaniola, three from St. Thomas, and two from Culebra, St. Croix, Salt Island,Martinique, the southern Lesser Antilles, Trinidad, and Tobago. Co-occurring species typically differ in body size and be-long to different genera. Three ecomorphs are described to account for associations of ecology and morphology: terrestri-al, scansorial, and cryptozoic. Parturition occurs at the transition between the dry and wet seasons, and the number ofyoung (1–7) is correlated with body size and taxonomic group. Molecular phylogenies indicate the presence of many un-named species in Middle and South America. A molecular timetree shows that mabuyines dispersed from Africa to SouthAmerica 18 (25–9) million years ago, and that diversification occurred initially in South America but soon led to coloni-zation of Caribbean islands and Middle America. The six genera present on Caribbean islands each represent separate dis-persals, over water, from the mainland during the last 10 million years. Considerable dispersal and speciation alsooccurred on and among Caribbean islands, probably enhanced by Pleistocene glacial cycles and their concomitant sea lev-el changes. Based on IUCN Redlist criteria, all of the 38 endemic Caribbean island species are threatened with extinction.Twenty-seven species (71%) are Critically Endangered, six species (16%) are Endangered, and five species (13%) are Vul-nerable. Sixteen of the Critically Endangered species are extinct, or possibly extinct, because of human activities duringthe last two centuries. Several of the surviving species are near extinction and in need of immediate protection. Analysisof collection records indicates that the decline or loss of 14 skink species can be attributed to predation by the Small IndianMongoose. That invasive predator was introduced as a biological control of rats in sugar cane fields in the late nineteenthcentury (1872–1900), immediately resulting in a mass extinction of skinks and other reptiles. The ground-dwelling and diurnal habits of skinks have made them particularly susceptible to mongoose predation.

scholarly journals Flora of Paraíba State, Brazil: Aechmea Ruiz & Pav. (Bromeliaceae)

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thaynara de Sousa Silva ◽  
Maria das Graças Lapa Wanderley ◽  
José Iranildo Miranda de Melo
Keyword(s):  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
Principal Characteristics ◽  
Geographic Distributions ◽  
Iucn Criteria ◽  
Eleven Species

Abstract: Aechmea is one of the largest genera of Bromeliaceae, having more than 250 species, and Brazil is its principal center of endemism. We taxonomically examined the species of Aechmea encountered in Paraíba State in northeastern Brazil. Our analyses were based on specimens collected during the present study, as well as examinations of local and regional herbaria collections. Eleven species were encountered to State: Aechmea aquilega, A. chrysocoma, A. costantinii, A. emmerichiae, A. eurycorymbus, A. fulgens, A. leptantha, A. mertensii, A. nudicaulis, A. patentissima, and A. werdermannii. Of those taxa, seven are endemic to northeastern Brazil and five are included within one of the threatened categories according to IUCN criteria, two of them being "endangered" and "critically endangered". We include here a key to the identification of the species, a list of the materials examined, commentaries concerning the taxonomic affinities of the species based on morphological characters, data concerning their geographic distributions, flowering, fruiting, inferences concerning their conservation statuses, as well as images and drawings indicating their principal characteristics.

A new species from the temporary ponds of southwest Portugal: Helosciadium milfontinum

Phytotaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 456 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-62
Author(s):  
EDUARDO CIRES ◽  
CARLA PINTO-CRUZ ◽  
HERMINIO S. NAVA ◽  
JOSÉ ANTONIO FERNÁNDEZ PRIETO
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Molecular Analysis ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Internal Transcribed Spacers ◽  
Temporary Ponds ◽  
New Taxon ◽  
Taxonomic Relationships ◽  
Threatened Plant ◽  
A New Species

The genus Helosciadium has six species of which three have been identified in Portugal: H. nodiflorum, frequent and abundant in much of the territory, and H. inundatum and H. repens, with a scattered distribution in Portugal. In the present study, a new species, Helosciadium milfontinum, a seriously threatened plant endemic, rare and scarce that grows in the temporary ponds of the Vicentinan Coastal District is described and illustrated. Morphological characters and molecular analysis of nuclear internal transcribed spacers (ITS) and plastid regions (matK, rps16-trnK and trnL-F) confirm the existence of this new taxon. Conservation status and taxonomic relationships of the new species are examined.

Phylogenetic analysis of the genera of endemic Hawaiian sap beetles (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) based on morphology with redescription and key to the genera of endemic Hawaiian Nitidulidae

Zootaxa ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 1427 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
CURTIS EWING
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
External Morphology ◽  
Direct Connection ◽  
Undescribed Species ◽  
Additional Species ◽  
Incertae Sedis ◽  
Sap Beetles ◽  
Endemic Genera

The endemic Hawaiian sap beetles were originally placed in 13 genera in 1908; Apetasimus, Apetinus, Cillaeopeplus, Cyrtostolus, Eunitidula, Eupetinus, Gonioryctus, Goniothorax, Nesapterus, Nesopeplus, Nesopetinus, Notopeplus, and Orthostolus. Apetasimus, Cyrtostolus, Eunitidula, and Notopeplus were described for single species, with additional species later described for Apetasimus and three undescribed species known for Eunitidula from Oahu, Molokai, and West Maui. Nesopeplus and Nesopetinus have been previously shown to be junior synonyms of Prosopeus. The monophyly of the genera is tested using morphological characters, primarily of the male copulatory sac, in a parsimony framework. The results provide the rationale for reducing the number of endemic genera to six; Apetasimus (= Cyrtostolus + Orthostolus in part), Cillaeopeplus (= Notopeplus), Eupetinus (= Apetinus), Gonioryctus (= Eunitidula + Goniothorax + Nesapterus), Orthostolus s.s., and Prosopeus. Brachypeplus (= Cillaeopeplus) gracilis, a species endemic to Guam, was placed in the formerly Hawaiian endemic Cillaeopeplus in 1962. Examination of the types of all species of Cillaeopeplus shows no direct connection between B. gracilis and the Hawaiian taxa comprising the remainder of Cillaeopeplus. Brachypeplus gracilis is placed incertae sedis in Brachypeplus herein. The position of the endemic Hawaiian sap beetles within the nit idulid subfamily Cillaeinae is surveyed using exemplar species from 22 of 27 genera placed in Cillaeinae. Undescribed species from eastern Polynesia allied with Brachypeplus subgenus Selis are proposed as the closest relatives of the Hawaiian endemic sap beetles based on internal and external morphology.

Revision of the genus Epexochus Reitter, with description of three new species (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Lixinae: Cleonini)

Zootaxa ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 2011 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-68
Author(s):  
MASSIMO MEREGALL ◽  
FABIO TALAMELLI
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Type Locality ◽  
Western China ◽  
Large Size ◽  
Colour Variant ◽  
The Status ◽  
Three New Species ◽  
North Western

The genus Epexochus Reitter is revised, its morphological characters are defined and the differences from the most closely related genera, Leucochromus Motschulsky and Eurycleonus Bedel, are outlined. All the populations of Epexochus from Kazakhstan and north-western China (Xinjiang) are referred to a single species, E. lehmanni (Ménétries). The status of Exochus latus Chevrolat is discussed and its name is formally synonymised with lehmanni. According to Art. 45.6.4.1 of the ICZN (1999), the name lehmanni var. consobrinus Faust, originally proposed for a colour variant and misidentified by Ter-Minasyan, is deemed to be subspecific and thus a synonym of lehmanni. Three new species are described in the genus: E. korotyaevi sp. n. (type locality: southern Tajikistan, Shaar-tuz region), characterised by the pronotum curved towards the elytra and by slender, lanceolate scales; E. voriseki sp. n. (type locality: central Uzbekistan, Gazli), characterised by small size, only slightly convex elytra and long hair-like setae, and E. mongolicus sp. n. (type locality: western Mongolia, Kobdoskij Aimak), characterised by large size, convex elytra with flat intervals and an elongate lamella of the aedeagus.

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