Lygosominae (original) (raw)

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Subfamily of lizards

Lygosominae
Unidentified Eutropis species from Wayanad (Kerala, India)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Scincidae
Subfamily: LygosominaeMittleman, 1952

Lygosominae is the largest subfamily of skinks in the family Scincidae. The subfamily can be divided into a number of genus groups. If the rarely used taxonomic rank of infrafamily is employed, the genus groups would be designated as such, but such a move would require a formal description according to the ICZN standards.[1]

Several Lygosominae genera were notorious "wastebin taxa" in the past, with scientists assigning more or less closely related species to them in a haphazard fashion and without verifying that the new species were close relatives of the genera's type species. What was once placed in Lygosoma, for example, is now divided among some 15 genera, not all in this subfamily. Similarly, Mabuya and Sphenomorphus are having species moved elsewhere.[2]

Now placed elsewhere

[edit]

Egernia group

now Subfamily Egerniinae

Eugongylus group

now Subfamily Eugongylinae

Mabuya group

now Subfamily Mabuyinae

Ctenotus pantherinus ocellifer at Angas Downs

Sphenomorphus group

now in subfamily Sphenomorphinae

  1. ^ Austin JJ, Arnold EN [in French] (2006). "Using ancient and recent DNA to explore relationships of extinct and endangered Leiolopisma skinks (Reptilia: Scincidae) in the Mascarene islands". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 39 (2): 503–511. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2005.12.011. PMID 16473026.
  2. ^ a b Shea GM, Michels JP (2008). "A replacement name for Sphenomorphus keiensis (Kopstein, 1926) from the southeastern Moluccas, Indonesia (Reptilia: Squamata: Scincidae) with a redescription of the species" (PDF). Zoologische Mededelingen. 82 (52): 737–747.
  3. ^ a b c Karin, Benjamin R.; Metallinou, Margarita; Weinell, Jeffrey L.; Jackman, Todd R.; Bauer, Aaron M. [in French] (2016-09-01). "Resolving the higher-order phylogenetic relationships of the circumtropical Mabuya group (Squamata: Scincidae): An out-of-Asia diversification". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 102: 220–232. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2016.05.033. PMID 27246101.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Linkem, Charles W.; Diesmos, Arvin C. [in French]; Brown, Rafe M. [in French] (2011-12-01). "Molecular systematics of the Philippine forest skinks (Squamata: Scincidae: Sphenomorphus): testing morphological hypotheses of interspecific relationships". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 163 (4): 1217–1243. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2011.00747.x. ISSN 1096-3642. PMC 7165859.

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