[Herpetology • 2023] Siren sphagnicola • Unraveling Siren (Caudata: Sirenidae) Systematics and Description of A Small, Seepage Specialist

Siren sphagnicola

Fedler, Enge & Moler, 2023 

Seepage Siren  ||  DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5258.4.1

 

Abstract

For approximately four decades, scientists have known of the existence of several undescribed species of Siren in the southeastern United States Coastal Plain. One of these species, S. reticulata, was recently described, but a small, seepage-dwelling species has remained undescribed until now. To resolve outstanding questions concerning the phylogeny of Siren, we collected sequence and morphometric data from specimens across the range of Siren. We found S. lacertina and S. reticulata to represent strongly supported monophyletic groups, with S. reticulata having a sister relationship to all other Siren. Additionally, we found five distinct mtDNA lineages within what has been recognized as S. intermedia. Siren lacertina and type-locality S. intermedia (lineage A) are sister mtDNA lineages, whereas S. intermedia lineages B and C show a high level of mitogenomic divergence from type-locality S. intermedia. Analyses of two scnDNA loci revealed that S. lacertina is monophyletic but nested with low positional support in a clade including the three S. intermedia mtDNA lineages. Further study is needed to determine whether S. intermedia lineages A, B, and C represent distinct species or incompletely sorted lineages. We restrict the range of S. intermedia to the region from the Escambia and Perdido river drainages of Florida and Alabama eastward through Virginia (the combined ranges of lineages A, B, and C). We also elevate S. i. nettingi (lineage E) to species status and include the larger S. i. texana form in that taxon, generating a species that occurs from the Mobile Bay drainages westward through the Mississippi Basin and southwest into northeastern Mexico. Lastly, we describe a new miniature species, S. sphagnicola, that ranges from the Florida Parishes of Louisiana eastward to the westernmost tributary creeks of Choctawhatchee Bay in the western Florida panhandle.

Key words: Sirenidae, phylogeny, Siren sphagnicola, new species, Gulf Coastal Plain

Live Siren sphagnicola specimens.
A Holotype specimen from Okaloosa Co., Florida (UF Herp 185209).
B Dorsal view of an adult found in shallow water where specimens were buried in the sandy bottom. C Dorsolateral view of an adult found in a deeper creek with deep muck deposits where specimens were found by digging through sphagnum root masses and fluid muck.
D Juvenile from a shallow, sand-bottomed creek.
E Adult hypertrophic male with a partially regenerated tail.

Siren sphagnicola sp. nov.

Common name. Seepage Siren

Diagnosis. Siren sphagnicola has typical Siren characteristics: external gills with three fimbriate gill stalks, three associated gill slits, four toes on the forelimbs, lack of pelvic girdle and hindlimbs, and a thin, pigment-bearing mucus layer that overlies the keratinized skin. A combination of traits distinguishes it from other members of the genus. It has 30‒33 costal grooves (Fig. 3) and a mouse gray base color with occasionally a light, grayish brown sheen on the dorsum (Fig. 11). Small juveniles in the post-macrocephalic larval stage, which is >2 months of age according to diagrams of growth/transition rates of S. nettingi provided by Noble & Marshall (1932), have the same gray coloration as adults (Fig. 11) and lack the orange, red, or yellow highlights present on other Siren juveniles of similar age (Fig. 13). A few adult specimens examined have small, well-defined black spotting on the head and occasionally on the dorsum (Fig. 11). Sensory pits on the head are more visible than those on heads of other Siren species and are typically ivory to beige colored, which may denote an absence of gray pigment rather than the presence of chromatophores (Fig. 11). This species lacks the yellow labial stripe present in young S. lacertina (Figs. 13B & 13F), S. intermedia (Figs. 13A, 13C, 13G, & 13I), and S. nettingi examined from the Mobile Bay drainage. Some juvenile S. intermedia in eastern populations also lack the light labial stripe. A few small juvenile S. sphagnicola have yellow spots or a short, broken stripe where a labial stripe is present in other species (Figs. 13E & 13H). Siren sphagnicola also lacks the post-cranial yellow or gold flecking found in many S. lacertina (Fig. 8), S. intermedia (Fig. 10),and S. nettingi. Gill stalk coloration is typically rosy pink to red in recently captured specimens but fades to grayish pink in captivity, likely due to changes in acidity or oxygenation of water. Intact tail tips are rounded, whereas partially regenerated tails (frequently observed) often taper to an abrupt point after the tail fin blade (Fig. 11). Regenerated portions of the tail seem to lack the density of gray pigment found in non-regenerated portions; thus, the regenerated portion is easily distinguished by its pinkish gray hue. Regenerated portions of the tail of other Siren species examined match the normal body coloration or have a brownish hue.

Etymology and common name. The specific epithet is derived from Sphagnum, the generic name for sphagnum moss, and the Latin suffix -cola, meaning inhabitant or dweller. The species epithet is used as noun in apposition. This siren is frequently found in and under mats of Sphagnum in and along streams and the margins of other bodies of water. Because of its affinity for seepage-fed streams and wetlands, we suggest Seepage Siren as the common name.

 Siren sphagnicola habitats.
A Type locality at Junior Walton Pond, Okaloosa Co., Florida, showing the feeding stream channel lined with thick muck and vegetation. B Type locality at Junior Walton Pond, Okaloosa Co., Florida, showing sphagnum mats and assorted vegetation covering a thick layer of muck and root masses. C Surface of a sphagnum bog on Bull Pen Branch, Okaloosa Co., Florida, where dense vegetation and 60 cm of muck provide ideal habitat for S. sphagnicola. D Seep at the head of Krul Lake, Santa Rosa Co., Florida, where shallow surface water flows over 15‒90 cm of fluid muck covered by grassy vegetation and sphagnum mats. E & F Hillside seepage pools along Carr Spring Branch, Okaloosa Co., Florida, where intermittent pools are deceptively deep and filled with fluid muck, like many other localities inhabited by S. sphagnicola.

   

Matthew T. Fedler, Kevin M. Enge and Paul E. Moler. 2023. Unraveling Siren (Caudata: Sirenidae) Systematics and Description of A Small, Seepage Specialist.  Zootaxa. 5258(4); 351-378. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5258.4.1

[Paleontology • 2022] Marmorerpeton wakei • Middle Jurassic Fossils (Caudata: Karauridae) document An early Stage in Salamander Evolution

Marmorerpeton wakei  

 Jones, Benson, Skutschas, Hill, Panciroli, Schmitt, Walsh & Evans, 2022

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2114100119

 twitter.com/MarcEHJones

Artwork: Brennan Stokkermans

Significance: 

Little is known about stem-lineage salamanders, limiting understanding of their early evolution and of the origins of modern amphibian diversity. We report new, three-dimensionally preserved skeletons of the stem-salamander Marmorerpeton, from 166 million-year-old rocks in Scotland, documenting many phylogenetically informative anatomical traits. High resolution computed tomography (CT) scans reveal unprecedented three-dimensional anatomical detail, illuminating anatomical changes during early salamander evolution. Phylogenetic analysis provides evidence for an anatomically diverse radiation of early stem salamanders distributed across Eurasia during the Middle Jurassic and Early Cretaceous. Our findings highlight the morphological variety of stem-salamanders, undermining the use of single exemplars (e.g., Karaurus; the “Archaeopteryx” of salamanders) to represent early evolutionary transitions.

Abstract

Salamanders are an important group of living amphibians and model organisms for understanding locomotion, development, regeneration, feeding, and toxicity in tetrapods. However, their origin and early radiation remain poorly understood, with early fossil stem-salamanders so far represented by larval or incompletely known taxa. This poor record also limits understanding of the origin of Lissamphibia (i.e., frogs, salamanders, and caecilians). We report fossils from the Middle Jurassic of Scotland representing almost the entire skeleton of the enigmatic stem-salamander Marmorerpeton. We use computed tomography to visualize high-resolution three-dimensional anatomy, describing morphologies that were poorly characterized in early salamanders, including the braincase, scapulocoracoid, and lower jaw. We use these data in the context of a phylogenetic analysis intended to resolve the relationships of early and stem-salamanders, including representation of important outgroups alongside data from high-resolution imaging of extant species. Marmorerpeton is united with Karaurus, Kokartus, and others from the Middle Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous of Asia, providing evidence for an early radiation of robustly built neotenous stem-salamanders. These taxa display morphological specializations similar to the extant cryptobranchid “giant” salamanders. Our analysis also demonstrates stem-group affinities for a larger sample of Jurassic species than previously recognized, highlighting an unappreciated diversity of stem-salamanders and cautioning against the use of single species (e.g., Karaurus) as exemplars for stem-salamander anatomy. These phylogenetic findings, combined with knowledge of the near-complete skeletal anatomy of Mamorerpeton, advance our understanding of evolutionary changes on the salamander stem-lineage and provide important data on early salamanders and the origins of Batrachia and Lissamphibia.

 

Marmorerpeton wakei  

 

Marc E. H. Jones, Roger B. J. Benson, Pavel Skutschas, Lucy Hill, Elsa Panciroli, Armin D. Schmitt, Stig A. Walsh and Susan E. Evans. 2022. Middle Jurassic Fossils document An early Stage in Salamander Evolution. PNAS. 119 (30) e2114100119. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2114100119

 twitter.com/MarcEHJones/status/1546802860519833601

 

 Marmorerpeton wakei (mar-more-ER-pet-on WAY-kee), 

 twitter.com/gsciencelady/status/1546807472706437120

 

[Herpetology • 2019] Tylototriton kachinorum • A New Species of Crocodile Newt, Genus Tylototriton (Caudata, Salamandridae) from the Mountains of Kachin State, northern Myanmar

Tylototriton kachinorum  

Zaw, Lay, Pawangkhanant, Gorin & Poyarkov, 2019

 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2019.043 

Abstract

 We describe a new species of the genus Tylototriton from Ingyin Taung Mt., Mohnyin Township, Kachin State, Myanmar, based on morphological and molecular evidence. The new species is assigned to the subgenus Tylototriton s. str. and is clearly distinct from all known congeners by the following characters: medium body size; thin, long tail, lacking lateral grooves; rough skin; truncate snout; wide, protruding supratemporal bony ridges on head, beginning at anterior corner of orbit; weak, almost indistinct sagittal ridge; long, thin limbs, broadly overlapping when adpressed along body; distinct, wide, non-segmented vertebral ridge; 13 or 14 rib nodules; brown to dark-brown background coloration with dull orange-brown to yellowish-brown markings on labial regions, parotoids, rib nodules, whole limbs, vent, and ventral tail ridge. We also briefly discuss biogeography and species diversity of the genus Tylototriton in Myanmar.

Key words: Tylototriton kachinorum sp. nov., mtDNA genealogy, ND2, 16S rRNA, Shan, Biogeography, Endemism, Taxonomy

Figure 4: Holotype of Tylototriton kachinorum sp. nov. (ZMMU A5953, male) in situ 

(Photo by Nikolay A. Poyarkov and Than Zaw)

Tylototriton kachinorum sp. nov.

Diagnosis: The new species is assigned to the genus Tylototriton based on molecular data and by the following combination of morphological attributes: (1) presence of dorsal granules, (2) dorsolateral bony ridges on head, (3) presence of dorsolateral series of knob-like warts (rib nodules); and (4) absence of quadrate spine (Figure 2). Tylototriton kachinorum sp. nov. is distinguished from all other congeners by a combination of the following morphological attributes: (1) medium body size, adult SVL 62.3–74.1 mm in males, 72.5– 84.8 mm in females; (2) tail thin and long, longer than body in both sexes, lacking lateral grooves; (3) skin rough with fine granules; (4) snout truncate in dorsal view; (5) supratemporal bony ridges on head wide, protruding, beginning at anterior corner of orbit; (6) sagittal ridge on head very weak, almost indistinct; (7) limbs long and thin, tips of forelimb and hindlimb broadly overlapping when adpressed along body; (8) vertebral ridge distinct, wide, non-segmented; (9) rib nodules weakly distinct, 13 – 14 along each side of body; (10) background coloration brown to dark-brown; (11) labial regions, parotoids, rib nodules, whole limbs, vent, ventral tail ridge with dull orange-brown to yellowish-brown markings.

The new species is also markedly distinct from all congeners for which comparable sequences are available of ND2 (P≥ 5.3%) and 16S rRNA (P≥2.4%) mitochondrial DNA genes.

Etymology: The specific name “kachinorum” is a Latin adjective in the genitive plural (masculine gender), derived from the name of the Kachin people who inhabit the montane areas of northern Myanmar and adjacent territories (Kachin Hills), including the type locality of the new species.

Recommended vernacular name: We recommend the following name in English: Kachin Crocodile Newt. Recommended vernacular name in Burmese (Myanmar) language: Kachin Yae Poke Thin.

Figure 6: Lateral (A), dorsal (B), and ventral (C) views of larval specimen (ZMMU A5957; Grosse (2013) stage 40) of Tylototriton kachinorum sp. nov. in life Scale bar: 3 mm. 

Photos by Nikolay A. Poyarkov

   

Than Zaw, Paw Lay, Parinya Pawangkhanant, Vladislav A. Gorin and Nikolay A. Poyarkov, Jr. 2019.  A New Species of Crocodile Newt, Genus Tylototriton (Amphibia, Caudata, Salamandridae) from the Mountains of Kachin State, northern Myanmar. Zoological Research. 40(3); 151-174. DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2019.043

       

[Herpetology • 2018] Siren reticulata • Description of An Extant Salamander (Caudata: Sirenidae) from the Gulf Coastal Plain of North America: The Reticulated Siren

Siren reticulata

Graham, Kline, Steen & Kelehear, 2018

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207460 

 photos: Pierson Hill   twitter.com/AlongsideWild

Abstract

The salamander family Sirenidae is represented by four extant species that are restricted to North America. Sirens are abundant throughout the southern United States and are among the world’s largest amphibians, yet the biology, ecology, and phylogeography of this group is poorly-known. In this study we use morphological and genetic evidence to describe a previously unrecognized species from southern Alabama and the Florida panhandle. We name this species the Reticulated Siren, Siren reticulata. Future studies will enable more precise phylogenetic information about S. reticulata and will almost surely reveal additional undescribed species within the family.

    

Fig 1. (A) Siren reticulata paratype specimen captured in Okaloosa County, Florida.
(B) Location of Siren reticulata captured in 2009 by D. Steen and M. Baragona.
(C) The type locality of Siren reticulata, Walton County, Florida.

Siren reticulata, sp. nov.

Reticulated Siren

Etymology: This animal has been colloquially referred to as the Leopard Eel. However, given that the species is neither a leopard nor an eel, we selected Reticulated Siren as a more appropriate formal common name. The specific name, reticulata, is a reference to the reticulated pattern typical of all specimens we examined.

Diagnosis: Like all Sirenids, S. reticulata has an elongate, eel-like body shape, two forelimbs, no eyelids, a lateral line, enlarged external gill fimbriae associated with gill slits, and a horny beak in place of the premaxillary teeth typical of other salamanders. There are only two known genera in the family Sirenidae: Pseudobranchus and Siren. The genus Pseudobranchus (dwarf sirens) includes two species (restricted to Florida, southern Georgia, and South Carolina) and is diagnosed by the presence of only one gill slit and three digits on each limb. The species we describe herein is assigned to the genus Siren based upon its large size, presence of four digits on the forelimbs, and three permanent gill fimbriae with three associated external gill slits. The dorsum of S. reticulata is olive-grey with lighter yellow-green flanks. It has an obvious and striking dark reticulate spotted pattern beginning at the gill arches and continuing to the tail (Fig 1A). Some specimens show a decided boundary where the spotting pattern ends along the flanks, while others show continuous spotting along the flanks that continue onto the ventral surface. The venter is a lighter olive green-yellowish color and in some specimens, it is also sparsely covered with irregular spots.

.....

Fig 3. Bayesian inference consensus tree for sirens and Pseudobranchus axanthus outgroup using five gene sequences: CytB, COI, ND5, 12S and 16S. The tree was generated in MrBayes and run for 5 million generations using a partition scheme determined using Partition Finder 2. The top number is probability generated in MrBayes. The bottom number is the maximum likelihood % from 1,000 bootstraps generated in RAxML. Accession numbers are in Table 2.

Life history and ecology: Due to the difficulty in acquiring specimens and this species’ apparently limited distribution, little is known of S. reticulata life history and ecology. Clearly, research on this topic is an urgent need. Most of what we know of this species is consistent with the general habits of other described species of sirens. The holotype contains hundreds of tiny developing follicles, suggesting that females have high fecundity, a feature also exhibited by S. lacertina. Mating, fertilization mode (e.g., external or internal), nests, and eggs are undescribed. However, we emphasize that this information is scarce even for long-recognized S. lacertina or S. intermedia.

Sean P. Graham, Richard Kline, David A. Steen and Crystal Kelehear. 2018. Description of An Extant Salamander from the Gulf Coastal Plain of North America: The Reticulated Siren, Siren reticulata.  PLoS ONE. 13(12): e0207460.  DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207460  

 twitter.com/AlongsideWild/status/1070392572877524993

New species of giant salamander discovered in Florida on.natgeo.com/2E4tI2n via @NatGeo

   

[Paleontology • 2016] Qinglongtriton gangouensis • A New Basal Salamandroid (Amphibia, Urodela) from the Late Jurassic of Qinglong, Hebei Province, China

Fig 3. Holotype of Qinglongtriton gangouensis  (PKUP V0226).
Photograph (left) and line drawing (right) of incomplete skeleton in ventral view.

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153834 

Abstract

A new salamandroid salamander, Qinglongtriton gangouensis (gen. et sp. nov.), is named and described based on 46 fossil specimens of juveniles and adults collected from the Upper Jurassic (Oxfordian) Tiaojishan Formation cropping out in Hebei Province, China. The new salamander displays several ontogenetically and taxonomically significant features, most prominently the presence of a toothed palatine, toothed coronoid, and a unique pattern of the hyobranchium in adults. Comparative study of the new salamander with previously known fossil and extant salamandroids sheds new light on the early evolution of the Salamandroidea, the most species-diverse clade in the Urodela. Cladistic analysis places the new salamander as the sister taxon to Beiyanerpeton, and the two taxa together form the basalmost clade within the Salamandroidea. Along with recently reported Beiyanerpeton from the same geological formation in the neighboring Liaoning Province, the discovery of Qinglongtriton indicates that morphological disparity had been underway for the salamandroid clade by early Late Jurassic (Oxfordian) time.

Systematic Paleontology

Class Amphibia Linnaeus, 1758

Subclass Lissamphibia Haeckel, 1866

Superorder Caudata Scopoli, 1777

Order Urodela Duméril, 1806

Suborder Salamandroidea Dunn, 1922

Family Incertae Sedis

Genus Qinglongtriton gen. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:DE89F7C6-1870-4B3E-A4BD-8C2BB208D193

Qinglongtriton gangouensis gen. et sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:B8CFC9E4-051C-4DD9-8C9F-0EC6AF0C7C0A

Holotype: PKUP V0226, an incomplete skeleton including articulated cranium and postcranium, with part of the tail missing (Figs 3, 5A, 6A, 7C and 7D; S1 Fig; S1 and S3 Movies).

Diagnosis: A basal salamandroid sharing with Beiyanerpeton derived features including: palatine present as discrete and dentate element; sensory groove present on external surface of premaxilla and maxilla; lateral surface of dentary deeply grooved; presacral vertebrae 15 in number. Differing from closely related Beiyanerpeton in having: lacrimal dorsally grooved for nasolacrimal duct; anterior ramus of pterygoid bearing teeth and directing anteromedially; ossification of orbitosphenoid absent; free operculum lacking; coronoid present as a dentate element; marginal teeth pedicellate; metacarpal II longest in manus; phalangeal formula 2-2-3-3-3 in pes. The new taxon has the basibranchial II ossified with paired anterolateral and posterolateral processes fused with a median rod as a unique feature among salamanders.

Etymology: “Qinglong” refers to the Qinglong Manchu Autonomous County; “triton”, suffix commonly used for salamander names; “gangou” refers to Gangou Township, in which the fossil locality occurs.

Referred Specimens: PKUP V0227–V0271, all specimens from the same locality and the 13th layer of the stratigraphic section as the holotype.

Type Locality and Horizon: Fossil locality approximately 300 m northwest of Nanshimenzi village (N40°31'52"/E119°29'11"), Gangou Township, Qinglong Manchu Autonomous County, Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province, China; the 13th layer of the stratigraphic section measured as outlined in Fig 1; Upper Jurassic (Oxfordian) Tiaojishan Formation.

Conclusions

The following conclusions can be drawn from our study of Qinglongtriton gangouensis from the Nanshimenzi locality:

1. Qinglongtriton gangouensis is a neotenic salamandroid named and described based on multiple specimens from the Upper Jurassic Tiaojishan Formation.

2. The new salamandroid displays several features of ontogenetic or taxonomic significance, including: lacrimal with a dorsally open groove for the nasolacrimal duct; presence of a stapedial foramen; lack of ossification of the orbitosphenoid; pedicellate teeth with monocuspid crowns; presence of a toothed coronoid; ontogenetic fusion of the angular bone to the prearticular; and a unique shape of the basibranchial II.

3. Phylogenetic analysis places Qinglongtriton as the sister taxon to Beiyanerpeton, and the two taxa together form the basalmost clade within the Salamandroidea. Along with the coexisting Beiyanerpeton the new discovery indicates that morphological disparity of the salamandroid clade was already underway by early Late Jurassic (Oxfordian) time.

Jia Jia and Ke-Qin Gao. 2016. A New Basal Salamandroid (Amphibia, Urodela) from the Late Jurassic of Qinglong, Hebei Province, China.  PLoS ONE. 11(5): e0153834. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153834

A Jurassic World of Salamanders
http://blogs.plos.org/paleocomm/2016/05/04/a-jurassic-world-of-salamanders 

[Herpetology • 2016] Triturus anatolicus • Description of A New Species of Crested Newt, previously subsumed in Triturus ivanbureschi (Caudata: Salamandridae)

 Anatolian Crested Newt |  Triturus anatolicus 

Wielstra & Arntzen, 2016 
 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4109.1.7

Abstract

Multilocus molecular data play a pivotal role in diagnosing cryptic species (i.e. genetically distinct but morphologically similar species). A multilocus phylogeographic survey has provided compelling evidence that Triturus ivanbureschi sensu lato comprises two distinct gene pools with restricted gene flow. We conclude that this taxon had better be treated as two distinct (albeit morphologically cryptic) species. The name T. ivanbureschi should be restricted to the western species, which is distributed in western Asiatic Turkey plus the south-eastern Balkan Peninsula. No name is as yet available for the eastern species, which is distributed in northern Asiatic Turkey. We propose the name Triturus anatolicus sp. nov. for the eastern species and provide a formal species description.

Keywords: gene flow, introgression, phylogeny, Triturus anatolicus sp. nov., Triturus karelinii, Amphibia

Distribution. The distribution encompasses Asiatic Turkey south of the Black Sea, reaching up to c. 200 kilometers inland (usually less), but not into inner Anatolia. To the west the new species reaches the Bosphorus at the northern side of the Marmara Sea. On the southern side of the Marmara Sea it meets T. ivanbureschi sensu stricto, east of Lake Ulubat and west of the city of Bursa. The two species form a hybrid zone here (Wielstra et al., submitted). To the east the new species reaches the town of Yomra, just east of the city of Trabzon. The nearest known Triturus localities further east are from the extreme NE of Turkey, over 150 km away, and probably concern T. karelinii sensu stricto (Wielstra et al., 2013a). An outline of the distribution of the new species is provided in Fig. 1. A database of distribution records is provided in Wielstra et al. (2014b).

Etymology. The specific epithet reflects the distribution of the new Triturus species. Triturus anatolicus sp. nov. is endemic to Anatolia. It is the only Triturus species to which this applies. It should be noted that the range of T. ivanbureschi sensu stricto covers western Anatolia (Wielstra et al., 2013a; Wielstra et al., submitted) and the range of T. karelinii sensu stricto probably protrudes into northeastern Anatolia (Wielstra et al., 2010).

Proposed vernacular name. We propose to use the vernacular name Anatolian Crested Newt for T. anatolicus sp. nov. This name highlights its status as an Anatolian endemic. We suggest to use the vernacular name Balkan Crested Newt for T. ivanbureschi sensu stricto (rather than Balkan-Anatolian Crested Newt previously applied to T. ivanbureschi sensu lato). Although T. ivanbureschi sensu stricto also partially occurs in Anatolia, the main part of its range is in the Balkan Peninsula.

Conclusion

We have taken a cautious approach in revising the taxonomy of T. karelinii sensu lato. We first split the group into T. karelinii sensu stricto and T. ivanbureschi sensu lato and preferred to await a detailed analysis of the putative hybrid zone between the two candidate species within T. ivanbureschi sensu lato before considering whether further taxonomic change was warranted (Wielstra et al., 2013b). By applying a next-generation sequencing protocol for Triturus (Wielstra et al., 2014a) to a detailed sampling in and around the putative hybrid zone (Wielstra et al., submitted) we could confirm the existence of an as yet undescribed cryptic species in T. ivanbureschi sensu lato. This gave us the confidence to describe T. anatolicus sp. nov. in the present paper. Our studies on Triturus illustrate how ‘shallow genomics’ (Zilversmit et al., 2002), in which a comprehensive but tractable portion of the total genome is employed to approximate evolutionary history, can be a driving force in taxonomy. As yet no diagnostic morphological characters are known to distinguish the three species comprising T. karelinii sensu lato. This raises the question: are the three crested newt species truly cryptic, or have they not been studied closely enough? Considering that previous morphological studies have mainly focused on the species meeting in the Balkan Peninsula rather than T. karelinii sensu lato (Arntzen, 2003) we suspect the latter. A future morphological study, using the genetic results as a guidance, should prove illuminating.

Wielstra, B. and Arntzen, J.W. 2016. Description of A New Species of Crested Newt, previously subsumed in Triturus ivanbureschi (Amphibia: Caudata: Salamandridae). Zootaxa. 4109(1); DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4109.1.7

Wielstra, B., S. n. Litvinchuk, B. Naumov, N. Tzankov and J. w. Arntzen. 2013. A Revised Taxonomy of Crested Newts in the Triturus karelinii Group (Amphibia: Caudata: Salamandridae), with the Description of A New Species. Zootaxa. 3682(3): 441–453. DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.3682.3.5

http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2013/f/zt03682p453.pdf

[Herpetology • 2014] Tylototriton liuyangensis • A New Species of the Genus Tylototriton (Urodela: Salamandridae) from Northeastern Hunan Province, China

Tylototriton liuyangensis  Yang, Jiang, Shen & Fei, 2014

DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1245.2014.00001

ABSTRACT

We describe a new species from the family Salamandridae from northeastern Hunan Province of China based on morphological and molecular genetic evidences. The new species, Tylototriton liuyangensis,is a member of the T. asperrimus group,and shares a number of similarities with T. wenxianensis and T. broadoridgus.The dorsal surface of the new Tylototriton species is completely black,with nodule-like warts distributed evenly along the lateral margin of dorsal body,and there is no transverse striae between the warts.There are several diagnostic characters of the new species that differ from those of T. wenxianensis and T. broadoridgus as follows: (1) the interorbital space (IOS) is comparatively wide; (2) there is a bony ridge present on the dorsal head surface,running along the upper eyelids; (3) the space between axilla and groin (AGS) is comparatively large,with the mean male AGS approximately equal to 50%of the snout-vent length (SVL) and the mean female AGS being 53%of SVL; and (4) there is a small genital armature on the anterior angle of labial folds present inside the anal fissure of adult males during the breeding season.The result from the molecular phylogenetic analysis of the genus Tylototriton (including the type specimen of the new species)based on the complete DNA sequence of the mitochondrial ND2 gene(1035 bp)indicated that the new species was similar to T. wenxianensis, T. dabienicus, and T. broadoridgus, but formed an independent clade.This result was consistent with the morphological analysis above, supporting that the Liuyang Population represented a distinct species.

Key words: new species, Tylototriton liuyangensis, Salamandridae, taxonomy, Liuyang Daweishan Provincial Nature Reserve of Hunan Province in China

 YANG Daode, JIANG Jianping, SHEN Youhui and  FEI Dongbo. 2014. A New Species of the Genus Tylototriton (Urodela: Salamandridae) from Northeastern Hunan Province, China. ASIAN HERPETOLOGICAL RESEARCH. 5(1):1-11. DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1245.2014.00001

ResearchGate.net/publication/278393438_A_New_Species_of_the_Genus_Tylototriton_(Urodela_Salamandridae)_from_Northeastern_Hunan_Province_China

[Herpetology • 2013] Systematics of the caecilian family Chikilidae (Amphibia: Gymnophiona) with the description of three new species of Chikila from northeast India ; Chikila alcocki, C. darlong & C. gaiduwani

by S.D. Biju
: http://facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=477428005665005

Abstract

A taxonomic review of the monogeneric northeast Indian caecilian family Chikilidae is presented based on 64 specimens. Chikila fulleri (Alcock, 1904), known previously only from a single specimen collected more than 100 years ago, is rediagnosed and characterised based on recent collections. We describe three additional species new to science, Chikila alcocki sp. nov., Chikila darlong sp. nov., and Chikila gaiduwani sp. nov. This species-level taxonomy is consistent with mitochondrial DNA sequence data. A key to the species of Chikila is presented. 

Key words: DNA, herpetology, identification key, morphology, taxonomy

Kamei, R.G., Gower, D.J., Wilkinson, M. and Biju, S. D. 2013. Systematics of the caecilian family Chikilidae (Amphibia: Gymnophiona) with the description of three new species of Chikila from northeast India. Zootaxa. 3666(4): 401–435. 

http://mapress.com/zootaxa/2013/f/z03666p435f.pdf

Kamei, R.G., San Mauro, D., Gower, D.J., Van Bocxlaer, I., Sherratt, E., Thomas, A., Babu. S., Bossuyt, S., Wilkinson, M. and Biju, S. D. 2012. Discovery of a new family of amphibians from northeast India with ancient links to Africa. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: 1-6. doi: dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2012.0150.

http://novataxa.blogspot.com/2012/02/2012-chikilidae.html

[Herpetology • 2013] Spatial Ecology of Rainbow Frog Scaphiophryne gottlebei in the Canyons of the Isalo Massif, Madagascar | Frogs radio-tracked for first time in Madagascar

A radio-tagged Scaphiophryne gottlebei individual from the Zahavola site.

Photo by Gonçalo Rosa

Abstract

The Rainbow Frog Scaphiophryne gottlebei lives within the humid canyons that cross the Isalo Massif, central-southern Madagascar. Knowing that a single haplotype dominates the largest part of its distribution range raised questions about the dispersal ability of the species. We affixed external radio transmitters to 36 individuals of S. gottlebei to understand whether the adults of this species actively displaced from the canyon they inhabit. We studied 13 males and 7 females in 2009 and 7 males and 9 females in 2011 over two periods (November–December 2009 and January–February 2011). Study sessions were chosen due to the different meteorological conditions: the first is the beginning of the rainy season, which corresponds to the start of reproduction; and the second being the end of the rainy season, which corresponds to a wetter period during which individuals are more likely to be feeding in order to increase body weight. Our results revealed that there is no significant difference in the activity patterns between sexes and that rain and temperature stimulate the dispersal rate. The distance covered by the individuals did not differ between males and females; the range varied from a few centimeters to approximately 50 m, although two individuals displaced more than 100 m in a single day. These data suggest that individuals of this species are quite phylopatric to the canyons they inhabit. The generalized haplotype sharing observed might then be explained by passive dispersal of larvae and metamorphosed individuals during the intense cyclonic floods.

Keywords: Amphibians, Ecology, Radiotelemetry, Rainbow Frog

Franco Andreone, Paolo Eusebio Bergo, Vincenzo Mercurio, and Goncalo M. Rosa. 2013. Spatial Ecology of Scaphiophryne gottlebei in the Canyons of the Isalo Massif, Madagascar. Herpetologica, 69(1), 11–21. http://dx.doi.org/10.1655/HERPETOLOGICA-D-12-00005

2003. A Radio Transmitter Belt for Small Ranid Frogs

http://www.fort.usgs.gov/Products/Publications/21062/21062.pdf

Frogs radio-tracked for first time in Madagascar | Scaphiophryne gottlebei 

Researchers have radio-tracked frogs for the first time in Madagascar. The effort, undertaken by a group of European scientists, is detailed in the current issue of Herpetologica.

#Conservation #Radiotelemetry: http://focusingonwildlife.com/news/frogs-radio-tracked-for-first-time-in-madagascar

http://news.mongabay.com/2013/0301-radio-tracking-frogs.html

[Paleontology • 2012] Beiyanerpeton jianpingensis • Late Jurassic salamandroid from western Liaoning, China

Holotype of Beiyanerpeton jianpingensis, gen. et sp. nov. a nearly complete skeleton in ventral view.

Image PNAS, doi:10.1073/pnas.1009828109 

A Jurassic salamander, Beiyanerpeton jianpingensis (gen. et sp. nov.), from a recently found site in western Liaoning Province, China is the earliest known record of Salamandroidea. As a Late Jurassic record of the group, it extends the range of the clade by ~40 Ma. The Late Jurassic taxon is neotenic and represented by exceptionally preserved specimens, including fully articulated cranial and postcranial skeletons and bony gill structures close to the cheek region. The fossil beds, consisting of dark-brown volcanic ash shales of the Upper Jurassic Tiaojishan (Lanqi) Formation (Oxfordian), underlie trachyandesite rocks that have yielded a SHRIMP zircon U-Pb date of 157 ± 3 Ma. The fossiliferous beds are substantially older than the Jehol Group, including the Yixian Formation (122–129 Ma), but slightly younger than the Middle Jurassic Daohugou horizon (164 ± 4 Ma). The early fossil taxon shares with extant salamandroids derived character states, including: separated nasals lacking a midline contact, angular fused to the prearticular in the lower jaw, and double-headed ribs on the presacral vertebrae. In contrast to extant salamandroids, however, the salamander shows a discrete and tooth-bearing palatine, and unequivocally nonpedicellate and monocuspid marginal teeth in large and presumably mature individuals. The finding provides insights into the evolution of key characters of salamanders, and also provides direct evidence supporting the hypothesis that the split between Cryptobranchoidea and Salamandroidea had taken placed before the Late Jurassic Oxfordian time. In this aspect, both paleontological and molecular data now come to agree.

Keywords: Urodela, phylogeny, fossil record, molecular clock

Calibrated cladogram showing the relationships of Beiyanerpeton to other fossil and extant salamander clades, and the timing of the Salamandroidea splitting from Cryptobranchoidea (solid dot) as indicated by the fossil record.
Image PNAS, doi:10.1073/pnas.1009828109

Salamander found in China oldest of its kind

Six salamander specimens were found in an ancient dry lakebed in China recently and now the team of Ke-Qin Gao from Peking University and Neil H. Shubinb of the University of Chicago has identified them as the oldest Salamandroidea specimens ever found. As they write in their paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the specimens are believed to be approximately 157 million years old. Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2012-03-salamander-china-oldest-kind.html

Ke-Qin Gao and Neil H. Shubin. 2012. Late Jurassic salamandroid from western Liaoning, China. PNAS. 109(15); 5767-5772. doi:10.1073/pnas.1009828109