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| Pseudogonatodes fuscofortunatus Schargel, Hernández-Morales, Daza, Jowers, Montes-Correa, Freitas, Sullivan, Gamble & Rivas. 2024 Photograph by Luis A. Rodríguez J. |
Abstract
We describe a new species of miniaturized gecko (genus Pseudogonatodes) from the Peninsula de Paria in northeastern Venezuela. Externally, the new species resembles Pseudogonatodes furvus and Pseudogonatodes manessi, from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in Colombia and the Central Coastal Range in Venezuela, respectively; however, it differs from these species in terms of molecular genetic data (12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, and c-mos), osteological characters, and scale counts. The new species is unique in skull osteology, and we adopt the term ‘telescoped’ from the literature to describe the overlap of bones in the snout, in particular the premaxilla fully separating the nasal bones and contacting the frontal bone. The new species is also the only known species of Pseudogonatodes with fused parietal bones. Using molecular data, we present the first phylogeny of Pseudogonatodes, including six of the nine species in the genus. The new species is sister to P. manessi, which is consistent with biogeographical patterns in the mountainous areas of northern Venezuela. The phylogenetic results also indicate that Pseudogonatodes guianensis is non-monophyletic and raise the possibility of resurrecting the name Pseudogonatodes amazonicus. However, large sampling gaps in Amazonia prevent us from rigorously assessing species limits and proposing a taxonomic change.
gecko, micro-computed tomography scan, montane forests, Peninsula de Paria, reptile, skeleton, sphaerodactyl, taxonomy
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| Telescoped patern of the skull of Pseudogonatodes fuscofortunatus (MBLUZ 1292, top), compared with Pseudogonatodes manessi (KU 182740, botom). Arrows indicate the facets that support each dorsal bone. Colours are as follows: purple, premaxilla; cobalt blue, nasal; light blue, frontal; green, parieta |
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| Specimens of Pseudogonatodes from northern South America in life. A, Pseudogonatodes fuscofortunatus female (presumably) paratype (MBLUZ 1293), Cerro El Olvido, Venezuela. B, Pseudogonatodes manessi, female, Rancho Grande, Parque Nacional Henri Pitier, Venezuela (MHNLS 17984). C, Pseudogonatodes furvus, male topotype, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia (CBUMAG:REP:00767). D, Pseudogonatodes manessi, young specimen, from La Cumbre, Municipio Bruzual, Sierra de Aroa, Venezuela; this individual would represent the westernmost limit of the species. E, view of Cerro Azul from Cerro El Olvido, two of the highest mountains with humid forests at the eastern end of the Paria Peninsula, Venezuela. F, undergrowth with abundant decomposing organic mater and rocks, an environment where P. fuscofortunatus lives. Photographs: Luis A. Rodríguez J. (A), Eric N. Smith (B), Andrés C. Montes-Correa (C), Alberto Navas and Edward Camargo (D), and Gilson Rivas (E, F) |
Walter E. Schargel, Cristian Hernández-Morales, Juan D. Daza, Michael J. Jowers, Andrés Camilo Montes-Correa, Mayke De Freitas, Kathryn A. Sullivan, Tony Gamble, Aaron M. Bauer and Gilson A. Rivas. 2024. Morphology and Molecular Systematics support A New Species of Pseudogonatodes (Squamata: Gekkota: Sphaerodactylidae) from Venezuela with a remarkable telescoped skull. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 202(2); zlae120. DOI: doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae120
