Molecular Phylogenetics and Comparative Examination of Voucher Museums Reveal Two New Species of Gymnophthalmid Lizards (Squamata, Gymnophthalmidae) from the Peruvian Andes, with Comments on <i>Proctoporus guentheri</i> (Boettger, 1891)
The genus <i>Proctoporus</i> comprises cursorial and semifossorial lizards that inhabit the Andes of Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru. The taxonomy is complex, and many undescribed species and geographic gaps remain to be addressed. In this study, we use molecular phylogenetics and examine v...
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MDPI AG
2022-03-01
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| author | Luis Mamani Roxana Cruz Sergio Mallqui Alessandro Catenazzi |
| author_facet | Luis Mamani Roxana Cruz Sergio Mallqui Alessandro Catenazzi |
| author_sort | Luis Mamani |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The genus <i>Proctoporus</i> comprises cursorial and semifossorial lizards that inhabit the Andes of Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru. The taxonomy is complex, and many undescribed species and geographic gaps remain to be addressed. In this study, we use molecular phylogenetics and examine voucher museums to describe two new species of gymnophthalmid lizards from the montane forests of Cusco, on the eastern slopes of the Andes of Peru. We inferred phylogenetic relationships from concatenated sequences of four mitochondrial (12S, 16S, ND4, and Cytb) and one nuclear (c-mos) gene fragments, using a Maximum Likelihood approach and Bayesian Inference. We also examined and compared meristic traits of the specimens deposited in herpetological collections in Peru and Bolivia. Our molecular phylogeny had strong support for the monophyly of the subfamily Cercosaurinae, low support for the genus <i>Proctoporus</i>, and revealed two new taxa of <i>Proctoporus</i>. The two new species, which we name <i>P. katerynae</i> sp. nov. and <i>P. optimus</i> sp. nov., are characterized as having two rows of pregular scales and three anterior infralabials. Furthermore, we re-identified specimens assigned to <i>P. laudahnae</i> as <i>P. guentheri</i>, and we comment on the taxonomy of <i>P. guentheri</i>. Finally, we discuss how global climate change and human-caused habitat loss may threaten <i>P. katerynae</i> sp. nov. and <i>P. optimus</i> sp. nov. by the mechanism known as “Escalator to extinction”. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:56:09Z |
| format | Article |
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| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:56:09Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
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| series | Diversity |
| spelling | doaj.art-b5d5e8b55eeb45dba0f5345d14db3ad82023-11-24T00:57:46ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182022-03-0114321510.3390/d14030215Molecular Phylogenetics and Comparative Examination of Voucher Museums Reveal Two New Species of Gymnophthalmid Lizards (Squamata, Gymnophthalmidae) from the Peruvian Andes, with Comments on <i>Proctoporus guentheri</i> (Boettger, 1891)Luis Mamani0Roxana Cruz1Sergio Mallqui2Alessandro Catenazzi3Escuela Profesional de Ingeniería Agroindustrial y Comercio Exterior, Universidad Señor de Sipán (USS), Chiclayo 14000, PeruMuseo de Historia Natural de la Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco, Cusco 08000, PeruMuseo de Historia Natural de la Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco, Cusco 08000, PeruDepartment of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USAThe genus <i>Proctoporus</i> comprises cursorial and semifossorial lizards that inhabit the Andes of Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru. The taxonomy is complex, and many undescribed species and geographic gaps remain to be addressed. In this study, we use molecular phylogenetics and examine voucher museums to describe two new species of gymnophthalmid lizards from the montane forests of Cusco, on the eastern slopes of the Andes of Peru. We inferred phylogenetic relationships from concatenated sequences of four mitochondrial (12S, 16S, ND4, and Cytb) and one nuclear (c-mos) gene fragments, using a Maximum Likelihood approach and Bayesian Inference. We also examined and compared meristic traits of the specimens deposited in herpetological collections in Peru and Bolivia. Our molecular phylogeny had strong support for the monophyly of the subfamily Cercosaurinae, low support for the genus <i>Proctoporus</i>, and revealed two new taxa of <i>Proctoporus</i>. The two new species, which we name <i>P. katerynae</i> sp. nov. and <i>P. optimus</i> sp. nov., are characterized as having two rows of pregular scales and three anterior infralabials. Furthermore, we re-identified specimens assigned to <i>P. laudahnae</i> as <i>P. guentheri</i>, and we comment on the taxonomy of <i>P. guentheri</i>. Finally, we discuss how global climate change and human-caused habitat loss may threaten <i>P. katerynae</i> sp. nov. and <i>P. optimus</i> sp. nov. by the mechanism known as “Escalator to extinction”.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/14/3/215cloud montane forestescalator to extinctionendangered speciesSorataMachu Picchuphylogenetic relationships |
| spellingShingle | Luis Mamani Roxana Cruz Sergio Mallqui Alessandro Catenazzi Molecular Phylogenetics and Comparative Examination of Voucher Museums Reveal Two New Species of Gymnophthalmid Lizards (Squamata, Gymnophthalmidae) from the Peruvian Andes, with Comments on <i>Proctoporus guentheri</i> (Boettger, 1891) Diversity cloud montane forest escalator to extinction endangered species Sorata Machu Picchu phylogenetic relationships |
| title | Molecular Phylogenetics and Comparative Examination of Voucher Museums Reveal Two New Species of Gymnophthalmid Lizards (Squamata, Gymnophthalmidae) from the Peruvian Andes, with Comments on <i>Proctoporus guentheri</i> (Boettger, 1891) |
| title_full | Molecular Phylogenetics and Comparative Examination of Voucher Museums Reveal Two New Species of Gymnophthalmid Lizards (Squamata, Gymnophthalmidae) from the Peruvian Andes, with Comments on <i>Proctoporus guentheri</i> (Boettger, 1891) |
| title_fullStr | Molecular Phylogenetics and Comparative Examination of Voucher Museums Reveal Two New Species of Gymnophthalmid Lizards (Squamata, Gymnophthalmidae) from the Peruvian Andes, with Comments on <i>Proctoporus guentheri</i> (Boettger, 1891) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Molecular Phylogenetics and Comparative Examination of Voucher Museums Reveal Two New Species of Gymnophthalmid Lizards (Squamata, Gymnophthalmidae) from the Peruvian Andes, with Comments on <i>Proctoporus guentheri</i> (Boettger, 1891) |
| title_short | Molecular Phylogenetics and Comparative Examination of Voucher Museums Reveal Two New Species of Gymnophthalmid Lizards (Squamata, Gymnophthalmidae) from the Peruvian Andes, with Comments on <i>Proctoporus guentheri</i> (Boettger, 1891) |
| title_sort | molecular phylogenetics and comparative examination of voucher museums reveal two new species of gymnophthalmid lizards squamata gymnophthalmidae from the peruvian andes with comments on i proctoporus guentheri i boettger 1891 |
| topic | cloud montane forest escalator to extinction endangered species Sorata Machu Picchu phylogenetic relationships |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/14/3/215 |
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