A new ancient lineage of ablepharine skinks (Sauria: Scincidae) from eastern Himalayas with notes on origin and systematics of the group

PeerJ

article

Zeeshan A. Mirza¹  Andrey M. Bragin²  Harshal Bhosale³  Gaurang G. Gowande⁴  Harshil Patel⁶  Nikolay A. Poyarkov² 

[1] National Centre for Biological Sciences;Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Biological Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University;Bombay Natural History Society;Abasaheb Garware College;Department of Biotechnology, Fergusson College;Department of Biosciences, Veer Narmad South Gujarat University;Voluntary Nature Conservancy, Vallabh Vidyanagar;Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Research and Technological Center

关键词: Ablepharus;    Asymblepharus;    Herpetology;    Himalblepharus;    MicroCT;    Molecular phylogeny;    Reptiles;    Systematics;   

DOI  :  10.7717/peerj.12800

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Inra

【 摘 要 】

The Himalayas represent a renowned biodiversity hotspot and an important biogeographic realm that has influenced origin and diversification of multiple taxa. A recent herpetological investigation of the eastern Himalayas of the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh led to the discovery of a unique lineage of ablepharine skink, which is herein described as a new genus along with a new species. The findings are based an integrated taxonomic approach incorporating data from external morphology, microCT scans of the skull and molecular data. The molecular phylogeny of ablepharine skinks is also presented that suggests taxonomic amendments. Discovery of this unique lineage of skinks further highlights the biogeographic importance of the eastern Himalayas as a source for origin of several relic biota.

【 授权许可】

CC BY