On the systematics and the phylogenetic position of the poorly known, montane dragon-lizard species Pseudocalotes austeniana (Annandale, 1908) (Squamata, Agamidae, Draconinae)

By

Gowande, Gaurang G
Bhosale, Harshal S.
Phansalkar, Pushlar
Sawant, Mandar
Mirza, Zeeshan A

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2021-6-29

Original Publication

Evolutionary systematics

Volume

5

Series / Issue

Issue: 1

Pages

141--150

Subjects

Arunachal Pradesh , generic re-allocation , Himalayas , Japalura , Northeast India

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Hamburg Centrum für Naturkunde (CeNak) 2017-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/evolsyst.5.67137

 

Abstract

The montane agamid speciesPseudocalotes austenianahas had a complicated taxonomic history, as the species was initially described as a member of the genusSaleaGray, 1845. Later, the species was placed in a monotypic genusMictopholisSmith, 1935, which was erected only to include this species; however, the species was later on transferred to the genusPseudocalotesFitzinger, 1843, owing to the morphological similarities, and lack of strong characters to diagnose the genusMictopholis. Nonetheless, its precise phylogenetic and systematic position has remained unresolved due to the lack of molecular sequence data. During a herpetological expedition to Arunachal Pradesh, specimens ofP. austenianawere collected from the hills near the type locality. The mitochondrial 16S rRNA, ND2 and ND4, and the nuclear RAG1 regions were subjected to molecular phylogenetics. Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference gene trees revealed thatP. austenianais a member of the subfamily Draconinae. The analyses showed that the genusPseudocalotesis polyphyletic, andP. austenianawas embedded within the genusJapaluraGray, 1853 sensu stricto. We here, thus, propose to transfer the speciesP. austenianato the genusJaplaura, asJapalura austenianacomb. nov.Biogeographic and evolutionary significance of the findings are discussed.