[Most Recent Entries] [Calendar View]
Saturday, April 20th, 2024
| Time | Event | ||||
| 2:46p | [Herpetology • 2024] Hemiphyllodactylus gengmaensis • A New Species of Hemiphyllodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from southwest Yunnan, China
Abstract A new species of gekkonid, Hemiphyllodactylus gengmaensis sp. 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. Key words: Gengma Dai and Wa Autonomous County, Hemiphyllodactylus gengmaensis sp. nov., integrative taxonomy, molecular phylogeny, slender gecko
Hemiphyllodactylus gengmaensis sp. nov. Diagnosis: Hemiphyllodactylus gengmaensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from its congeners by the combination of the following characters: maximum SVL of 43.24 mm; 8–9 chin scales; enlarged postmentals; 6 circumnasal scales; 2–3 internasal scales; 9–11 supralabial scales; 8–9 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; and a brown postsacral mark bearing anteriorly projecting arms. Etymology: The scientific name “gengmaensis” is derived from its type locality Gengma Dai and Wa Autonomous County in Yunnan province. We suggest Gengma Slender Gecko in English and “耿马半叶趾虎 (Gěng Mǎ Bàn Yè Zhǐ Hǔ)” in Chinese. Hongxin Zhou, Shimin Li, Ziqi Shen, Shuo Liu and Dingqi Rao. 2024. A New Species of Hemiphyllodactylus (Squamata, Gekkonidae) from southwest Yunnan, China. ZooKeys. 1197: 197-213. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1197.117359 | ||||
| 2:47p | [Herpetology • 2024] Phrynocephalus kangsuensis • Species Divergence in Valleys: the Phylogeny of Phrynocephalus forsythii complex (Squamata: Agamidae) and Description of A New Species
Abstract Background: Geographic isolation caused by high-altitude valleys promotes the formation of geographic segregation of species, leading to species differentiation. The subgenus Oreosaura contains viviparous species from the Tibetan Plateau and the vicinity of the Tarim Basin, which can be divided into three species complexes according to their geographical distribution: Phrynocephalus vlangalii, Phrynocephalus theobaldi, and Phrynocephalus forsythii. However, molecular data for the P. forsythii complex are limited and the diversity of this species complex has been greatly underestimated. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the species diversity of Oreosaura and species differentiation within the P. forsythii complex. Methods: We analysed the species diversity of Oreosaura by combining previous data, constructed a phylogenetic tree of the subgenus based on cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and 16S sequences, and estimated the divergence time. Results: The results suggest significant genetic differences between the Tarim Basin populations and adjacent mountain valley populations of the P. forsythii complex and that the combination of deep valley landscapes in the high mountains and ice-age events have contributed to the differentiation of the viviparous toad-headed agama lizard, which is a key factor in the phylogenetics of the P. forsythii complex. Furthermore, we identified a population collected from Wuqia County, Xinjiang, as a new species, Phrynocephalus kangsuensis sp. nov. The results will provide data for phylogenetic studies following the P. forsythii complex and help demonstrate that valleys promote the formation of Phrynocephalus species.
Phrynocephalus kangsuensis sp. nov. Diagnosis: No axillary spots, two nasal scales, upper nasal scale bulging, nostril opening between two nasal scales; three inter-nasal scales, middle one largest, and bulging. Five to seven pairs of orange-red spots along the centre of the dorsal spine and a distinct orange-red spot on the dorsal surface of the caudal base. Dark transverse stripes on the dorsal surface of the tail, white ventral surface of the tail, and black tip. Qianru Liang and Lei Shi. 2024. Species Divergence in Valleys: the Phylogeny of Phrynocephalus forsythii complex and Description of A New Species. PeerJ. 12:e17175. DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17175 | ||||
| 3:10p | [Invertebrate • 2024] Rhianastra isosceles & Bathyceramaster kelliottae • Two New Taxa of Goniasteridae (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) and Noteworthy Observations of Deep-Sea Asteroidea by the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer in the North and Tropical Atlantic
Abstract Two new species and one new genus, collected by NOAA ship Okeanos Explorer, Bathyceramaster kelliottae n. sp. and Rhianastra isosceles n. gen., n. sp. (Goniasteridae; Asteroidea) are described from deep-sea settings in the North Atlantic. Two potentially undescribed species are observed from imagery and new in situ observations further elucidate life modes and feeding behavior of several species from North Atlantic deep-sea habitats. New occurrences of Atlantic Neomorphaster are presented and Neomorphaster forcipatus is synonymized with Neomorphaster margaritaceus. Echinodermata, NOAA ship Okeanos Explorer, deep-sea, feeding observations, new species, taxonomy, Stichasteridae, Zoroasteridae  Rhianastra isosceles n. gen., n. sp.  Bathyceramaster kelliottae n. sp.  Christopher L. Mah. 2024. Two New Taxa of Goniasteridae (Asteroidea, Echinodermata) and Noteworthy Observations of Deep-Sea Asteroidea by the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer in the North and Tropical Atlantic. Zootaxa. 5432(4); 461-508. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5432.4.2 Two newly described sea stars named in honor of ocean explorers, including NOAA’s Kelley Suhre |
| << Previous Day |
2024/04/20 [Calendar] |
Next Day >> |