Three New Species of Lerista (Scincidae) from Northern Queensland with a Diagnosis of the Wilkinsi Species Group

Abstract

Three new species in the sand swimming genus Lerista are described from northern Queensland: L. cinerea, L. storri and L. vittata. They and four other species-ameles, apoda, stylis and wilkinsi-are members of the wilkinsi species group, a lineage diagnosed in part by the fusion of the first and second supraciliaries and the loss of the first supraocular. A key to the species of the wilkinsi group is provided. The lizards of the endemic Australian, sand swimming genus Lerista are of in- terest for three reasons. First, they occur in most areas of Australia and hence are a predictable component in most faunal surveys. Second, they have radiated widely in the arid, semi-arid and season- ally dry parts of the country and hence provide a potentially useful model for studying speciation in these areas. Third, they comprise the most complete limb re- duction series in tetrapods and hence pro- vide the best material available for study- ing this classic topic of evolutionary biology. To facilitate both our own and others'