Abstract
Cercosaurine lizards (subfamily Cercosaurinae of the family Gymnophthalmidae) represent a substantial component of the reptile fauna in the Neotropics. Several attempts have been made to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships within this group, but most studies focused on particular genera or regions and did not cover the subfamily as a whole. In this study, material from the montane forests of Peru was newly sequenced. In combination with all cercosaurine sequences available on GenBank, an updated phylogeny of Cercosaurinae is provided. Monophyly was not supported for three of the currently recognised genera (Echinosaura, Oreosaurus, and Proctoporus). The genus Proctoporus is formed by five monophyletic groups, which should be used in future taxonomic revisions as feasible entities. Recognition of two previously identified undescribed clades (Unnamed clades 2 and 3) was supported and yet another undescribed clade (termed here Unnamed clade 4), which deserves recognition as an independent genus, was identified herein. Selvasaura brava, a new genus and new species of arboreal gymnophthalmid lizard is described from the montane forests of the Pui Pui Protected Forest, Provincia de Chanchamayo, Región Junín, Peru. The new species is characterised by its small size (SVL 42.1–45.9 mm), slender body, smooth head shields, presence of paired prefrontal shields, fused anteriormost supraocular and anteriormost superciliary shields, transparent not divided lower palpebral disc, slightly rugose subimbricate rectangular dorsal scales in adults (slightly keeled in juveniles), distinctly smaller but non-granular lateral scales, smooth squared to rectangular ventral scales, and hemipenial lobes large, distinct from the hemipenial body. Phylogenetic affinities of the new genus to the other cercosaurine genera, as well as basal phylogenetic relationships between the other cercosaurine genera remain unresolved.
Highlights
Gymnophthalmid lizards represent a substantial component of the reptile fauna in the Neotropics
We have discovered several new species of amphibians and reptiles, e.g., frogs of the genera Pristimantis, and Phrynopus, and lizards of the genera Euspondylus, Potamites, and Proctoporus (Lehr and Moravec 2017; Lehr et al 2017a, b; work in progress), which suggests that biodiversity of this region is still far from being fully inventoried
Most of the cercosaurine genera were strongly supported in all the analyses: Anadia (100, 1, 1); Andinosaura (86, 1, 1); Cercosaura (78, 1, 1); Euspondylus (98, 1, 1); Gelanesaurus (100, 1, 1); Macropholidus (92, 1, 1); Neusticurus (98, 1, 1); Petracola (93, 1, 1); Pholidobolus (63, 0.97, 0.96); Placosoma (100, 1, 1); Potamites (93, 1, 1); Riama (100, 1, 1)
Summary
Gymnophthalmid lizards (family Gymnophthalmidae) represent a substantial component of the reptile fauna in the Neotropics They are traditionally divided into subfamilies (sometimes referred to as tribes; Pellegrino et al 2001a; Goicoechea et al 2016), of which the cercosaurines (Cercosaurinae), with approximately 140 species, form the most species-rich clade. This subfamily is distributed throughout South America and the Andes represent the main centre of its diversity. Cercosaurinae consists of 15 formally described genera: Anadia, Andinosaura, Cercosaura, Echinosaura, Euspondylus, Gelanesaurus, Macropholidus, Neusticurus, Oreosaurus, Petracola, Pholidobolus, Placosoma, Potamites, Proctoporus, and Riama. Torres-Carvajal et al (2016) identified three more evolutionary lineages within cercosaurines at the level of genera, some of which are still awaiting formal descriptions
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