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| Urocotyledon norzilensis Lobón-Rovira, Rocha, Gower, Perera & Harris, 2022 |
Abstract
Urocotyledon inexpectata, a small gecko endemic to the granitic islands of the Seychelles, has previously been demonstrated to comprise two highly distinct clades based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences, with one lineage exclusive to a northern group of islands, and the second lineage exclusive to the more southerly islands. Here we complement the genetic data with additional analyses to determine if the clades should be considered distinct species. We present and analyse new morphological data, including skull and jaw osteology, and supplement the available genetic data with DNA sequences for individuals from the previously unsampled island of Felicité, which cluster with the other northern island samples. Despite the high morphological similarity between Urocotyledon populations from northern and southern islands, diagnostic characters were identified, with the northern lineage having a more completely ossified skull, more tooth loci on maxilla and dentary, shorter hindlimbs, relatively smaller eye diameter and relatively wider head. We therefore describe the northern lineage as a distinct species, Urocotyledon norzilensis sp. nov., and discuss the biological and conservation management implications of this taxonomic action.
Keywords: Reptilia, cryptic species, Gekkota, Osteology, Indian Ocean, skull, Dentition
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| Urocotyledon norzilensis sp. nov. C—Photos of habitat in southern islands. D & E—Photos of habitat in northern granitic islands. Photos by Ana Perera. |
Urocotyledon norzilensis sp. nov.
Etymology. The name “norzilensis” derives from two local words, “nor” and “zil” which in Seselwa, the official Seychelles creole language, refer to “north” and “islands”, respectively, and refer to the geographical distribution of this cryptic species. The termination “-ensis” refers to being from a place or locality.
Javier Lobón-Rovira, Sara Rocha, David J. Gower, Ana Perera and D. James Harris. 2022. The Unexpected Gecko: A New Cryptic Species within Urocotyledon inexpectata (Stejneger, 1893) from the northern Granitic Seychelles. Zootaxa. 5150(4); 556-578. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5150.4.4
