A systematic revision of Calotes Cuvier, 1817 (Squamata: Agamidae) from the Western Ghats adds two genera and reveals two new species - PubMed (original) (raw)
A systematic revision of Calotes Cuvier, 1817 (Squamata: Agamidae) from the Western Ghats adds two genera and reveals two new species
Saunak Pal et al. Zootaxa. 2018.
Abstract
Lizards of the genus Calotes are geographically restricted to South Asia, Indo-China and parts of Southeast Asia. The greatest diversity of the genus is from the biodiversity hotspots in South Asia: Western Ghats (Peninsular India), Sri Lanka and Indo-Burma. Here, we present a systematic revision of members of the genus Calotes from Peninsular India using a combination of molecular phylogeny, geographical distribution and morphological characters. We show that Calotes from the Western Ghats is paraphyletic and consists of three major clades, one of which is widely distributed in South and Southeast (SE) Asia, while the others are restricted to Peninsular India. The Peninsular Indian clade is composed of two sister clades: Psammophilus, with a wider distribution and a second clade, composed of two extant species, Calotes rouxii and Calotes ellioti and two new species, all restricted to the Western Ghats region. Based on morphological differences, we retain the generic status of Psammophilus and assign its sister clade to a new genus Monilesaurus gen. nov. and transfer the following species, C. rouxii and C. ellioti, to this new genus. We also provide diagnoses and descriptions for two new species recognized within Monilesaurus gen. nov. In addition, Calotes aurantolabium from the Western Ghats was observed to be deeply divergent and to share a sister-relationship with the clade composed of Calotes, Monilesaurus gen. nov., and Psammophilus. Based on its phylogenetic position and morphological attributes, we assign this species to a new genus Microauris gen. nov. These new discoveries highlight the evolutionary significance of the Western Ghats in housing novel lizard diversity.
Keywords: Reptilia, Agamidae, Calotes, new genus, Microauris, Monilesaurus, Psammophilus, Western Ghats.
Similar articles
- A molecular and morphological study of Otocryptis Wagler, 1830 (Squamata: Agamidae) reveals a new genus from the far south of the Western Ghats, Peninsular India.
Srikanthan AN, Adhikari OD, Ganesh SR, Deuti K, DAS K, Kulkarni VM, Gowande GG, Shanker K. Srikanthan AN, et al. Zootaxa. 2021 Aug 5;5016(2):205-228. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.5016.2.3. Zootaxa. 2021. PMID: 34810454 - Systematic status of Fejervarya ((Amphibia, Anura, Dicroglossidae) from South and SE Asia with the description of a new species from the Western Ghats of Peninsular India.
Dinesh KP, Vijayakumar SP, Channakeshavamurthy BH, Torsekar VR, Kulkarni NU, Shanker K. Dinesh KP, et al. Zootaxa. 2015 Aug 7;3999:79-94. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.3999.1.5. Zootaxa. 2015. PMID: 26250327 - On the systematic status of the genus Oriocalotes Günther, 1864 (Squamata: Agamidae: Draconinae) with the description of a new species from Mizoram state, Northeast India.
Giri VB, Chaitanya R, Mahony S, Lalrounga S, Lalrinchhana C, DAS A, Sarkar V, Karanth P, Deepak V. Giri VB, et al. Zootaxa. 2019 Jul 18;4638(4):zootaxa.4638.4.1. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.4638.4.1. Zootaxa. 2019. PMID: 31712456 - Kukri snakes Oligodon Fitzinger, 1826 of the Western Palearctic with the resurrection of Contia transcaspica Nikolsky, 1902 (Reptilia, Squamata, Colubridae).
Lee JL, Yushchenko PV, Milto KD, Rajabizadeh M, Rastegar Pouyani E, Jablonski D, Masroor R, Karunarathna S, Mallik AK, Dsouza P, Orlov N, Nazarov R, Poyarkov NA. Lee JL, et al. PeerJ. 2023 May 18;11:e15185. doi: 10.7717/peerj.15185. eCollection 2023. PeerJ. 2023. PMID: 37220522 Free PMC article. Review. - Mesozoic origin and 'out-of-India' radiation of ricefishes (Adrianichthyidae).
Yamahira K, Ansai S, Kakioka R, Yaguchi H, Kon T, Montenegro J, Kobayashi H, Fujimoto S, Kimura R, Takehana Y, Setiamarga DHE, Takami Y, Tanaka R, Maeda K, Tran HD, Koizumi N, Morioka S, Bounsong V, Watanabe K, Musikasinthorn P, Tun S, Yun LKC, Masengi KWA, Anoop VK, Raghavan R, Kitano J. Yamahira K, et al. Biol Lett. 2021 Aug;17(8):20210212. doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2021.0212. Epub 2021 Aug 4. Biol Lett. 2021. PMID: 34343438 Free PMC article. Review.
Cited by
- Taxonomic review of the Calotesversicolor complex (Agamidae, Sauria, Squamata) in China, with description of a new species and subspecies.
Huang Y, Li H, Wang Y, Li M, Hou M, Cai B. Huang Y, et al. Zookeys. 2023 Dec 20;1187:63-89. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.1187.110704. eCollection 2023. Zookeys. 2023. PMID: 38161713 Free PMC article. - Hiding on jagged karst pinnacles: A new microendemic genus and species of a limestone-dwelling agamid lizard (Squamata: Agamidae: Draconinae) from Khammouan Province, Laos.
Sitthivong S, Brakels P, Xayyasith S, Maury N, Idiiatullina S, Pawangkhanant P, Wang K, Nguyen TV, Poyarkov NA. Sitthivong S, et al. Zool Res. 2023 Nov 18;44(6):1039-1051. doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2023.062. Zool Res. 2023. PMID: 37872005 Free PMC article. - The extent of rapid colour change in male agamid lizards is unrelated to overall sexual dichromatism.
Batabyal A, Zambre A, Mclaren T, Rankin KJ, Somaweera R, Stuart-Fox D, Thaker M. Batabyal A, et al. Ecol Evol. 2023 Jul 9;13(7):e10293. doi: 10.1002/ece3.10293. eCollection 2023 Jul. Ecol Evol. 2023. PMID: 37435020 Free PMC article. - Draft genome of the oriental garden lizard (Calotes versicolor).
Wang Q, He F, Huang RY, Yang X, Yang D, Ngatia JN, Gong Y, Xu Y, Huang S, Liu H. Wang Q, et al. Front Genet. 2023 Feb 20;14:1091544. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1091544. eCollection 2023. Front Genet. 2023. PMID: 36891152 Free PMC article. No abstract available.
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Research Materials