A Cladistic Evaluation of the Cosmopolitan Genus Eumeces Wiegmann (Reptilia, Squamata, Scincidae)

Hugh Griffith, André Ngo, Robert W. Murphy

Abstract


A phylogenetic analysis of morphological characters shows that the scincid lizard genus Eumeces Wiegmann, 1834 is paraphyletic. East Asian and New World Eumeces form a clade referred to as the Pariocela section. A petition filed with the ICZN designates Lacerta fasciata Linnaeus 1758 as the type species of Eumeces, and, therefore, the Pariocela section retains the name Eumeces. Members of the schneiderii and taeniolatus species groups are more closely related to the genera Scincopus Peters and Scincus Laurenti than to other Eumeces. The taeniolatus species group is the sister group to the schneiderii species group plus Scincopus and Scincus, and requires generic status. Eurylepis Blyth, 1854 is the oldest available name for the taeniolatus group, and the schneiderii group is placed in a new genus. The three species of the Middle American schwartzei species group form a clade that cannot be associated with any other group of Eumeces and, therefore, they are also placed in a new genus.

Keywords


Eumeces; Eurylepis; Mesoscincus; Novoeumeces; Scincidae; Scincus; Scincopus; Systematics

Full Text:

PDF

References


Anderson J. (1871), «On two saurian genera, Eurylepis and Plocederma Blyth, with a description of a new species of Mabouia, Fitzinger», Proc. Asiatic Soc. Bengal, 1871, 186 – 187.

Arnold E. N. and Leviton A. E. (1977), «A revision of the lizard genus Scincus (Reptilia: Scincidae)», Bull. Br. Mus. Nat. Hist., 31, 187 – 248.

Blyth E. (1854), «Report of Curator, Zoological Department, for September, 1854», J. Asiatic Soc. Bengal, 23, 729 – 740.

Boulenger G. A. (1890), «First report on additions of the lizard collection in the British Museum (Natural History)», Proc. Zool. Soc. (London), 1890, 77 – 86, pls. 8 – 11.

Broadley D. G. (1978), «A revision of the genus Platysaurus A. Smith (Sauria: Cordylidae)», Occ. Pap. Natl. Mus. Rhodesia B. Nat. Sci., 6, 129 – 185.

Brygoo E. R. (1980a), «Systématique des lézards scincidés de la région malgache. II. Amphiglossus astrolabi Duméril and Bibron, 1839; Gongylus polleni Grandidier, 1869; Gongylus stumpffi Boettger, 1882, et Scelotes waterloti Angel, 1930», Bull. Mus. Natn. Hist. Nat. Paris 4e Ser. 2. Sect. A, No. 2, 525 – 539.

Brygoo E. R. (1980b), «Systématique des lézards scincidés de la région malgache. V. Scelotes praeornatus Angel, 1938, synonyme de Scelotes s. l. frontoparietalis (Boulenger, 1889)», Bull. Mus. Natn. Hist. Nat. Paris 4e Ser. 2. Sect. A, No. 4, 1155 – 1160.

Brygoo E. R. (1981a), «Systématique des lézards scincidés de la région malgache. VI. Deux scincines nouveaux», Bull. Mus. Natn. Hist. Nat. Paris 4e Ser. 3. Sect. A, No. 1, 261 – 268.

Brygoo E. R. (1981b), «Systématique des lézards scincidés de la région malgache. VIII. Les Mabuya des iles de l’ocean Indien occidental: Comores, Europa, Sechelles», Bull. Mus. Natn. Hist. Nat. Paris 4e Ser. 3. Sect. A, No. 3, 911 – 930.

Brygoo E. R. (1983a), «Systématique des lézards scincidés de la région malgache X. Rapports de Gongylus johannae Günther, 1880, des Comores, et de Sepsina valhallae Boulenger, 1909, des Glorieuses, avec les espèces malgaches», Bull. Mus. Natn. Hist. Nat. Paris 4e Ser. 5. Sect. A, No. 2, 651 – 660.

Brygoo E. R. (1983b), «Systématique des lézards scincidés de la région malgache. XI. Les Mabuya de Madagascar», Bull. Mus. Natn. Hist. Nat. Paris 4e Ser. 5. Sect. A, No. 4, 1079 – 1108.

Brygoo E. R. (1984), «Systématique des lézards scincidés de la région malgache. XV. Gongylus igneocaudatus A. Grandidier, 1867, et Scelotes intermedius Boettger, 1913. Les Amphiglossus du groupe igneocaudatus», Bull. Mus. Natn. Hist. Nat. Paris 4e Ser. 6. Sect. A, No. 3, 779 – 789.

Brygoo E. R. (1985), «Systématique des lézards scincidés de la région malgache. XVII. Gongylus splendidus A Grandidier, 1872, Scelotes macrolepis Boulenger, 1888, et Scelotes decaryi Angel, 1930», Bull. Mus. Natn. Hist. Nat. Paris 4e Ser. 7. Sect. A, No. 1, 235 – 247.

Brygoo E. R. and Böhme W. (1985), «Un Zonosaurus nouveau de la région d’Antseranana (= Diégo-Suarez, Madagascar) (Reptilia: Cordylidae)», Rev. Fr. Aquariol., 12, 31 – 32.

Camp C. L. (1923), «Classification of the lizards», Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., 48, 290 – 491.

Deweese J. E. and Wright J. W. (1970), «A preliminary karyological analysis of scincid lizards», Mamm. Chromosomes Newsl., 11, 95 – 96.

Donoghue M. J., Doyle J. A., Gauthier J., Kluge A. G., and Rowe T. (1989), «The importance of fossils in phylogeny reconstruction», Ann. Rev. Ecol. Syst., 20, 431 – 460.

Doumergue F. (1900[1901]), Essai sur la faune erpétologique de l’Oraine, Imp. Typogr. Fouque, Oran.

Dugès A. (1891), La Naturaleza. (2) I, 1887–1890, 485 – 486.

Duméril A. M. C. and Bibron G. (1839), Erpétologie Générale ou Histoire Naturelle Complète des Reptiles. V, 1839, viii + 1–855.

Dunn E. R. (1933), «A new lizard from Nicaragua», Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., 46, 67 – 68.

Eiselt J. (1940), «Der Rassenkreiss Eumeces schneiderii Daudin (Scincidae, Rept.)», Zool. Anz., 131, 209 – 228.

Estes R., de Queiroz K., and Gauthier J. (1988), «Phylogenetic relationships within the Squamata», in: R. Estes and G. Pregill (eds.), Phylogenetic Relationships of the Lizard Families. Essays Commemorating Charles L. Camp, Stanford Univ. Press, Stanford (California), pp. 118 – 228.

Fischer J. G. (1884), «Herpetologische Bermekungen», Abh. Geb. Naturw. herausg. Naturw. Ver. Hamburg VIII, 2, 1 – 6.

Fitzinger L. J. F. J. (1843), Systema reptilium. Fasciculus primus. Amblyglossae. Vindobonae, Braumuller und Seide.

Fitzsimons V. F. (1943), «The lizards of South Africa», Tansvaal Mus. Mem., 1, 1 – 528.

Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire É. and Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire I. (1827), «Description des Reptiles qui se Trouvent en Égypte», in: Description de l’Égypte, ou Recueil des Observations et des Recherches qui ont été faites en Égypte pendant l’expédition de l’Armée Française. Histoire Naturelle. Tome Premier [Volume 1, part 1], Imprimerie Impériale, Paris, pp. 115 – 160, 118 plates.

Gorman G. C. (1973), «The chromosomes of the Reptilia, a cytotaxonomic interpretation», in: A. B. Chirelli and E. Campanna (eds.), Cytotaxonomy and Vertebrate Evolution, Acad. Press, New York, pp. 349 – 424.

Greer A. E. (1970), «A subfamilial classification of scincid lizards», Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 139, 151 – 184.

Greer A. E. (1986), «Lygosominae monophyly: a third, corroborating character and a reply to critics», J. Herpetol., 20, 123 – 126.

Greer A. E. (1987), «Limb reduction in the lizard genus Lerista. I. Variation in the number of phalanges and presacral vertebrae», J. Herpetol., 21, 267 – 276.

Greer A. E. (1990), «Overlap pattern in the preanal scale row: an important systematic character in skinks», J. Herpetol., 24, 328 – 330.

Günther A. (1864), The Reptiles of British India, London.

Hallowell E. (1852 [1854]), «On a new genus and three new species of reptiles inhabiting North America», Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 1852, 206 – 209.

Harlan R. (1824), «Description of a new species of Scincus», J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 4, Pt. 2, 1824, 286 – 288.

Ivanov V. G. and Bogdanov O. P. (1975), «Karyotype of Eumeces taeniolatus Blyth», Tsitologiya, 17, 861 – 863 [in Russian].

Khan M. S. and Khan R. Z. (1997), «A New skink from the Thal Desert of Pakistan», Asiatic Herpetol. Res., 7, 61 – 67.

Laurenti J. N. (1768), Specimen medicum, exhibens synopsia reptilium emendatum cum experimentis circa venana et antidota reptilium austriacarum, Vienna.

Lieb C. S. (1985), «Systematics and distribution of the skinks allied to Eumeces tetragrammus (Sauria: Scincidae)», Contrib. Sci. Los Angeles Co. Nat. Hist. Mus., No. 357, 1 – 19.

Linnaeus C. (1758), Systema naturae, 10th ed., Vol. I, Stockholm.

Maddison W. P., Donoghue M. J., and Maddison D. R. (1984), «Outgroup analysis and parsimony», Syst. Zool., 33, 83 – 103.

Mertens R. (1946), «Dritte Mittielung über die Rassen der Glattechse Eumeces schneiderii», Senckenbergiana, 27, 53 – 62.

Murphy R. W., Smith H. M., Chiszar D., Griffith H., Ngo A., Ananjeva N., Darevsky I. S., Orlov N. L., Aguirre G., Morafka D. J., Reeder T. W., and Adler K. (1999: in review), «Eumeces Wiegmann, 1834: designation of Lacerta fasciata Linnaeus, 1758, as type», Bull. Zool. Nomencl.

Nash D. F. and Tanner W. W. (1970), «A comparative study of the head and thoracic osteology and myology of the skinks Eumeces gilberti Van Denburgh and Eumeces skiltonianus (Baird and Girard)», Brigham Young Univ. Sci. Bull. Biol. Ser., 12, 1 – 32.

Pasteur G. (1981), «A survey of the species groups of the Old World scincid genus Chalcides», J. Herpetol., 15, 1 – 16.

Pasteur G., Keymar P. F., and Perret J.-L. (1988), «Canarian skink systematics. Contrasting insular diversifications within a species subgroup», Ecol. Prat. Haute Etud. 3e Sect. Mem Trav. Inst. Montpellier, 18, 1 – 42.

Peters W. (1864), «Über die Eidechsenfamilie der Scincoiden insbesondere über die Schneider’schen Wiegmann’schen und neue Arten des zoologisches Museums», Mber. K. Preuss. Akad. Wiss., 1864, 44 – 58.

Rieppel O. (1984a), «The cranial morphology of the fossorial lizard genus Dibamus with a consideration of its phylogenetic relationships», J. Zool. Lond., 204, 289 – 327.

Rieppel O. (1984b), «Miniaturization of the lizard skull: its functional and evolutionary implications», Symp. Zool. Soc. Lond., No. 52, 503 – 520.

Schleich H. H., Kästle W., and Kabisch K. (1996), Amphibians and Reptiles of North Africa, Koeltz, Koenigstein (Germany).

Schwenk K. (1988), «Tongue morphology and squamate relationships: a phylogenetic analysis», in: R. Estes and G. Pregill (eds.), Phylogenetic Relationships of the Lizard Families. Essays Commemorating Charles L. Camp, Stanford Univ. Press, Stanford (California), pp. 568 – 596.

Sharma R. C. (1970), «A new lizard, Eumeces poonaensis (Scincidae) from India», Rec. Zool. Survey India, 62, 239 – 241.

Swofford D. L. (1998), «PAUP*: phylogenetic analysis using parsimony and other methods, version 4.0b2a», Sinauer Assoc., Sunderland (Mass.).

Talliuri V. M. (1975), «Eumeces schneiderii algeriensis», in: M. L. Becak, W. Becak, T. R. Chen, and R. N. Shoffner (eds.), The Chromosome Atlas: Fish Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds, Vol. 3, R-42.

Taylor E. H. (1936), «A taxonomic study of the cosmopolitan scincoid lizards of the genus Eumeces with an account of the distribution and relationships of its species», Univ. Kansas Sci. Bull., 23, 1 – 643.

Theobald W. (1866), «Catalogue of reptiles in the museums of the Asiatic Society of Bengal», Extra No. J. Asiatic Soc. Bengal, No. 146, 1 – 88.

Wagler J. G. (1830), Natürliches System der Amphibien, mit vorangehender Classification der Säugthiere und Vögel. Ein Beitrag zur vergleichenden Zoologie, J. G. Cotta, München – Stuttgart – Tübingen.

Watrous L. E. and Wheeler Q. D. (1981), «The out-group comparison method of character analysis», Syst. Zool., 30, 1 – 11.

Wiegmann A. F. A. (1834), Herpetologia Mexicana, seu Descriptio Amphibiorum Novae Hispaniae, quae Itineribus Comitis de Sack, Ferdinandi Deppe et Chr. Guil. Schiede in Museum Zoologicum Berolinense Pervenerunt, C. G. Lüderitz, Berlin.

Wiegmann A. F. A. (1835), «Bericht über die Forschritte der Zoologie in Jahre 1834 vom Herausgeber (Schlufs)», Arch. für Naturg., I, 255 – 348.

Wiegmann A. F. A. (1837), «Herpetologische Notizen vom Herausgeber», Arch. für Naturg., III, 123 – 136.

Wilson S. K. and Knowles D. G. (1988), Australia’s Reptiles. A Photographic Reference to the Terrestrial Reptiles of Australia, Collins Publishers, Sydney.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-2000-7-1-1-16

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


You can subscribe to the print or electronic version of the journal on the site of EastView Company. If you have any questions, please write to the email sales@ivis.ru