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22 pages, 16449 KiB

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A New Species of the Cyrtodactylus pulchellus Group (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Surat Thani Province, Thailand Underscores This Group’s Remarkable Diversity on the Thai-Malay Peninsula

by Korkhwan Termprayoon, Attapol Rujirawan, Larry Lee Grismer and Anchalee Aowphol

Animals 2024, 14(22), 3226; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14223226 - 11 Nov 2024

Viewed by 1724

Abstract

An integrative taxonomic study recognized a new species of the Cyrtodactylus pulchellus group from Kanchanadit District, Surat Thani Province, Southern Thailand. Phylogenetic analyses of the mitochondrial ND2 gene revealed a new species, Cyrtodactylus kanchanaditsp. nov., that is closely related to C. lekaguli. The new species differs from its sister lineage by bearing mean genetic divergence of 4.53% and significant differences in both mensural and morphometric characters (p < 0.05). Cyrtodactylus kanchanaditsp. nov. can be differentiated from the remaining members of the C. pulchellus species group because of its genetic divergence of ≥7.99% and a combination of differences in body size: 11–15 supralabial and 10–12 infralabial scales, 29–35 paravertebral tubercles, 18–23 longitudinal rows of dorsal tubercles, 32–37 rows of ventral scales, 20–23 subdigital lamellae on the fourth toe, 32–37 femoroprecloacal pores in adult males, and four or five dark body bands; weak tuberculation on body; absence of tubercles in the ventral body fold, absence of precloacal pores in females, and absence of scattered pattern of white tubercles on dorsum; presence of precloacal groove depression; and maculated white caudal bands. Cyrtodactylus kanchanaditsp. nov. is currently known from its type locality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evolution, Diversity, and Conservation of Herpetofauna: Second Edition)

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15 pages, 28896 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Karstic Landscapes Are Foci of Species Diversity in the World’s Third-Largest Vertebrate Genus Cyrtodactylus Gray, 1827 (Reptilia: Squamata; Gekkonidae)

by Lee Grismer, Perry L. Wood, Nikolay A. Poyarkov, Minh D. Le, Suranjan Karunarathna, Siriwadee Chomdej, Chatmongkon Suwannapoom, Shuo Qi, Shuo Liu, Jing Che, Evan S. H. Quah, Fred Kraus, Paul M. Oliver, Awal Riyanto, Olivier S. G. Pauwels and Jesse L. Grismer

Diversity 2021, 13(5), 183; https://doi.org/10.3390/d13050183 - 28 Apr 2021

Cited by 65 | Viewed by 6231

Abstract

Karstic landscapes are immense reservoirs of biodiversity and range-restricted endemism. Nowhere is this more evident than in the world’s third-largest vertebrate genus Cyrtodactylus (Gekkonidae) which contains well over 300 species. A stochastic character mapping analysis of 10 different habitat preferences across a phylogeny containing 344 described and undescribed species recovered a karst habitat preference occurring in 25.0% of the species, whereas that of the other eight specific habitat preferences occurred in only 0.2–11.0% of the species. The tenth category—general habitat preference—occurred in 38.7% of the species and was the ancestral habitat preference for Cyrtodactylus and the ultimate origin of all other habitat preferences. This study echoes the results of a previous study illustrating that karstic landscapes are generators of species diversity within Cyrtodactylus and not simply “imperiled arks of biodiversity” serving as refugia for relics. Unfortunately, the immense financial returns of mineral extraction to developing nations largely outweighs concerns for biodiversity conservation, leaving approximately 99% of karstic landscapes with no legal protection. This study continues to underscore the urgent need for their appropriate management and conservation. Additionally, this analysis supports the monophyly of the recently proposed 31 species groups and adds one additional species group. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evolutionary Ecology of Lizards)

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11 pages, 1411 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sex Chromosome Turnover in Bent-Toed Geckos (Cyrtodactylus)

by Shannon E. Keating, Madison Blumer, L. Lee Grismer, Aung Lin, Stuart V. Nielsen, Myint Kyaw Thura, Perry L. Wood, Evan S. H. Quah and Tony Gamble

Genes 2021, 12(1), 116; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12010116 - 19 Jan 2021

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4624

Abstract

Lizards and snakes (squamates) are known for their varied sex determining systems, and gecko lizards are especially diverse, having evolved sex chromosomes independently multiple times. While sex chromosomes frequently turnover among gecko genera, intrageneric turnovers are known only from Gekko and Hemidactylus. Here, we used RADseq to identify sex-specific markers in two species of Burmese bent-toed geckos. We uncovered XX/XY sex chromosomes in Cyrtodactylus chaunghanakwaensis and ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes in Cyrtodactylus pharbaungensis. This is the third instance of intrageneric turnover of sex chromosomes in geckos. Additionally, Cyrtodactylus are closely related to another genus with intrageneric turnover, Hemidactylus. Together, these data suggest that sex chromosome turnover may be common in this clade, setting them apart as exceptionally diverse in a group already known for diverse sex determination systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vertebrate Karyotype Evolution: How Far Have We Come, and Where Are We Going?)

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