[Paleontology • 2026] Crocodylus lucivenator • Lucy’s peril: A Pliocene crocodile from the Hadar Formation, north-eastern Ethiopia

  

Crocodylus lucivenator

 Brochu, Drumheller, Campisano, Tekle, Getachew, Head, Platt & Leaphart, 2026

 

DOI: doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2026.2614954 

Artwork by Tyler Stone

Abstract

We herein describe a new crocodile, Crocodylus lucivenator sp. nov., from palaeoanthropological sites in the Pliocene Hadar Formation in north-eastern Ethiopia. It shares derived features and plesiomorphic states with two Pleistocene species of Crocodylus from East Africa. Conversely, C. lucivenator bears a midline boss on the dorsal surface of the rostrum similar to those of modern Neotropical crocodiles and late Miocene crocodiles from Libya and Kenya. A boss is also present on Pliocene specimens from Kanapoi in Kenya previously referred to C. thorbjarnarsoni. Some C. lucivenator also have a more substantial prenarial rostrum than other Palaeoafrican Crocodylus, though not to the same extent as in extant Crocodylus, and its expression is variable. Phylogenetic analysis supports a close relationship between C. lucivenator, Kanapoi Crocodylus, C. anthropophagus, C. thorbjarnarsoni, and fossils from the Turkana Basin previously misreferred to C. checchiai. A close relationship with Neoafrican Crocodylus is rejected, reinforcing a comparatively recent arrival for Neoafrican Crocodylus in East Africa. Crocodylus lucivenator and the Kanapoi form are very similar, but an exclusive relationship is not unambiguously supported in our analysis. The phylogenetic placement of the Palaeoafrican clade depends on how one regards the prenarial rostrum, and positions outside crown Crocodylus or close to the Neotropical clade can be equally optimal. One mandible preserves pathological structures consistent with injuries sustained during intraspecific combat. Crocodylus lucivenator appears to have been the only crocodylian in the Hadar Formation, while coeval deposits in the Turkana Basin preserve as many as four species. The reason for this disparity is unclear.

 

Keywords: Crocodylus lucivenator, Hadar Formation, Pliocene, prenarial rostrum, cladistic assessment, Turkana Basin

Crocodylus lucivenator sp. nov.

Etymology. luci-, Latin for light, but here used with reference to A.L. 288-1 (Lucy), the iconic Australopithecus afarensis skeleton from Hadar; -venator, Latin, hunter. There is no evidence A.L. 288-1 was ever attacked by a crocodile, but her species (and most likely Lucy herself) would doubtless have been pursued as prey by this species.

Christopher A. Brochu, Stephanie K. Drumheller, Christopher Campisano, Getahun Tekle, Tomas Getachew, Jason J. Head, Nathan C. Platt & Daniel Leaphart. 2026. Lucy’s peril: A Pliocene crocodile from the Hadar Formation, north-eastern Ethiopia. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 24(1); 2614954. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2026.2614954 [11 Mar 2026]

[Entomology • 2025] Paracroria niger, P. sahelica & P. oromia • Notes on the African Genus Paracroria (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), with Three New Species Descriptions

Paracroria niger Saldaitis, Prozorov & Müller sp. n.  
 Paracroria sahelica Saldaitis, Prozorov & Müller sp. n. 
 Paracroria oromia Saldaitis, Prozorov, Tujuba & Müller sp. n.  

in Saldaitis, Prozorov, Junnila, Petrányi, Yakovlev, Tujuba, Traore, Müller et Dûda, 2025.

 DOI: doi.org/10.18476/2025.146467 

 

Abstract

A recent revision of the genus Paracroria Hampson, 1908 by Hacker and collaborators is reviewed, with the following results: 1) an expanded and more accurate diagnosis of the genus, with the first description of morphological features, especially of the vesicae; 2) re-analysis of their dataset of publicly available barcodes, with confirmation of a currently unresolvable polyphyly of Paracroria griseocincta (Hampson, 1902) and change of the taxonomic status of Paracroria major miombo Hacker, Fiebig & Stadie, 2022 to P. miombo stat. n., as valid at the species level; 3) maps of collection localities for all species, with correction of the one given earlier for P. griseocincta. Additionally, three new species are described: Paracroria niger Saldaitis, Prozorov & Müller sp. n. and Paracroria sahelica Saldaitis, Prozorov & Müller sp. n. from Mali, and Paracroria oromia Saldaitis, Prozorov, Tujuba & Müller sp. n. from Ethiopia, with detailed diagnoses distinguishing them from P. griseocincta, P. miombo, Paracroria major Janse, 1938, and Paracroria lignosa Hacker, Fiebig & Stadie, 2022. Paracroria pulcherima Hacker, Fiebig & Stadie, 2022 was excluded from consideration due to a completely different wing shape, but left within the genus for the time being. Detailed color plates are provided.

KEYWORDS: Acontiinae, Acontiini, barcoding, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Mali, Paracaroides, phylogeny, sahel, Somali Acacia-Commiphora bushlands and thickets, West Africa, West Sudanian savanna

Paracroria niger Saldaitis, Prozorov & Müller sp. n. 

Paracroria sahelica Saldaitis, Prozorov & Müller sp. n. 

Paracroria oromia Saldaitis, Prozorov, Tujuba & Müller sp. n.  

Aidas Saldaitis, Alexey M. Prozorov, Amy Junnila, Gergely Petrányi, Roman V. Yakovlev, Tesfu Fekensa Tujuba, Mohamed M. Traore, Günter C. Müller, Juozas Dûda. 2025. Notes on the African Genus Paracroria (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), with Three New Species Descriptions. Integrative Systematics: Stuttgart Contributions to Natural History. 8(1), 93-116. DOI: doi.org/10.18476/2025.146467 (30 June 2025)  

Einige Ergebnisse der kürzlich erfolgten Revision der Gattung Paracroria Hampson, 1908 durch HACKER und Kollegen werden überprüft, was zu folgenden Ergebnissen führt: 1) Die Gattungsdiagnose wird präzisiert und um die Beschreibung morphologischer Merkmale, insbesondere der Vesicae, erweitert; 2) Die phylogenetische Analyse anhand öffentlich verfügbarer Barcodes wird erneut durchgeführt und führt zur Bestätigung einer derzeit unauflösbaren Polyphylie von Paracroria griseocincta (Hampson, 1902) und zur Änderung des taxonomischen Status von Paracroria major miombo Hacker, Fiebig & Stadie, 2022 zu P. miombo stat. n. als valide Art; 3) Verbreitungskarten für alle Arten, mit Korrektur der zuvor für P. griseocincta angegebenen. Darüber hinaus werden drei neue Arten beschrieben: Paracroria niger Saldaitis, Prozorov & Müller sp. n. und Paracroria sahelica Saldaitis, Prozorov & Müller sp. n. aus Mali sowie Paracroria oromia Saldaitis, Prozorov, Tujuba & Müller sp. n. aus Äthiopien. Detaillierte Diagnosen der neuen Arten zu ihrer Unterscheidung von P. griseocincta, P. miombo, P. major Janse, 1938 und P. lignosa Hacker, Fiebig & Stadie, 2022 werden bereitgestellt. Paracroria pulcherima Hacker, Fiebig & Stadie, 2022 wurde aufgrund der völlig anderen Flügelform von dieser Betrachtung ausgeschlossen, aber vorerst in der Gattung belassen. Detaillierte Farbtafeln werden zur Verfügung gestellt.

[Mammalogy • 2025] Crocidura stanleyi • Integrative Taxonomic Revision of endemic Dwarf Shrews Genus Crocidura (Soricidae) from the Ethiopian Highlands

 

Crocidura stanleyi

Craig, Bryjová, Bryja, Meheretu, Lavrenchenko & Peterhans, 2025

  

DOI: doi.org/10.25225/jvb.25060  

 Researchgate.net/publication/394761621

 Abstract  

The biodiversity of the Ethiopian Highlands features a significant level of endemism. Among its diverse fauna, the genus Crocidura (Soricidae), with many cryptic species, remains poorly documented, particularly for species of minute size. This study describes a newly discovered minute shrew – one of the smallest mammals worldwide – and addresses the taxonomy of the so-called ‘Afromontane clade’ of Crocidura in Ethiopia. We combined extensive field sampling of recent and historical specimens with advanced genetic analyses (genome skimming, Illumina sequencing, and cytb phylogenetics) and morphological examination (external and craniodental) to delineate the new species and address taxonomic affinities among other minute Crocidura from Ethiopia. One of our newly collected forms represents a distinct genetic lineage, corresponding with unique physical characteristics such as tail length and cranial features. Its discovery highlights the rich, yet still incompletely understood, mammalian diversity in the Ethiopian Highlands and underscores the importance of integrating morphological and molecular data in taxonomic studies.

 KEYWORDS: cryptic species, minute shrews, biodiversity, taxonomy, museomics, Morphometrics

Crocidura stanleyi, sp. nov.

Evan W. Craig, Anna Bryjová, Josef Bryja, Yonas Meheretu, Leonid A. Lavrenchenko and Julian C. Kerbis Peterhans. 2025. Integrative Taxonomic Revision of endemic Dwarf Shrews from the Ethiopian Highlands. Journal of Vertebrate Biology. 74 (25060), 25060.1-18. DOI: doi.org/10.25225/jvb.25060 (20 August 2025) 

 Researchgate.net/publication/394761621_Integrative_taxonomic_revision_of_endemic_Crocidura_from_the_Ethiopian_Highlands

[Mammalogy • 2024] Phylogeny, Biogeography, and Integrative Taxonomic Revision of the Afro-Arabian Rodent Genus Ochromyscus (Muridae: Murinae: Praomyini)

 

the Afro-Arabian rodent Genus Ochromyscus (Muridae: Murinae: Praomyini)

in Meheretu, Mikula, Frynta, Frýdlová, Mulualem, Lavrenchenko, Kostin, Elmi, Šumbera et Bryja, 2024. 

DOI: doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlad158

https://sev-in.ru

Abstract

The analyses of Plio-Pleistocene speciation processes in the Horn of Africa are relevant for understanding the evolution of biodiversity patterns of this understudied part of the world. Here we analyse comprehensive genomic and morphological data of the recently delimited murid genus Ochromyscus, one of the few with Afro-Arabian distribution. Using an integrative taxonomic approach, we delimit three species in the genus: two in eastern Africa (O. brockmani and O. niveiventris) and one in southern Arabia (O. yemeni), and detail their distribution, genetic structure, and evolutionary history. Despite their morphological similarity, the three species split before the Pleistocene, and their interspecific genetic divergence level is comparable to that between sister genera of murine rodents. The split between two taxa living on opposite sides of the Red Sea (O. brockmani vs. O. yemeni) is younger than the separation of their ancestor and O. niveiventris living in eastern Africa. The colonization of Arabia can be explained either by the presence of a relatively recent continental bridge or by the past occurrence of the genus along the eastern coast of the Red Sea and subsequent spreading through the Sinai Peninsula.

ddRAD, Horn of Africa, integrative taxonomy, phylogeography, rodents, Somali-Masai savanna

Ochromyscus brockmani (Thomas, 1906)

Brockman’s white-bellied rocky mouse.

Ochromyscus niveiventris (Osgood, 1910)

Snowy white-bellied rocky mouse. 

The Latin name ‘niveiventris’ means ‘snowy-white-bellied’. 

Because the English genus name is ‘white-bellied rocky mouse’ (Nicolas et al., 2021), we propose to simplify the English name to avoid redundant use of ‘white-bellied’.

Ochromyscus yemeni (Sanborn and Hoogstraal, 1953)

Yemen white-bellied rocky mouse.

Yonas Meheretu, Ondřej Mikula, Daniel Frynta, Petra Frýdlová, Getachew Mulualem, Leonid A Lavrenchenko, Danila S Kostin, Hassan Sh Abdirahman Elmi, Radim Šumbera and Josef Bryja. 2024. Phylogeny, Biogeography, and Integrative Taxonomic Revision of the Afro-Arabian Rodent Genus Ochromyscus (Muridae: Murinae: Praomyini). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 202(1); zlad158. DOI: doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlad158 [04 November 2023]

Study of mammal evolutionary histories sheds light on existence of continental bridge between Africa and Arabian Peninsula  https://sev-in.ru/en/node/4067

  x.com/iee_ras/status/1888935922411999442

[Mammalogy • 2021] Chingawaemys gen. nov., Montemys gen. nov. & Ochromyscus gen. nov. ... • Phylogenomics of African Radiation of Praomyini Rodents (Rodentia: Muridae: Murinae): First fully resolved Phylogeny, Evolutionary History and Delimitation of Extant Genera

 

Chingawaemys Lavrenchenko, Mikula & Bryja, gen. nov. 
Congomys Nicolas & Bryja, gen. nov.
Ochromyscus Nicolas, Mikula & Bryja, gen. nov.

Serengetimys Nicolas & Bryja, gen. nov. 
Montemys Nicolas & Bryja, gen. nov. 

in Nicolas, Mikula, Lavrenchenko, Šumbera, Bartáková, Bryjová, Meheretu, Verheyen, Missoup, Lemmon, Lemmon et Bryja, 2021. 

DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2021.107263 

 

Highlights: 

• Fully resolved phylogeny of a highly diversified group of African mammals using genome-scale data.

• Mechanisms of adaptive radiation in Late Miocene/Early Pliocene.

• Delimitation of monophyletic genera in Praomyini rodents.

• Discovery of a new mammal genus in Ethiopian forests.

Abstract

The tribe Praomyini is a diversified group including 64 species and eight extant rodent genera. They live in a broad spectrum of habitats across whole sub-Saharan Africa. Members of this tribe are often very abundant, they have a key ecological role in ecosystems, they are hosts of many potentially pathogenic microorganisms and comprise numerous agricultural pests. Although this tribe is well supported by both molecular and morphological data, its intergeneric relationships and the species contents of several genera are not yet fully resolved. Recent molecular data suggest that at least three genera in current sense are paraphyletic. However, in these studies the species sampling was sparse and the resolution of relationships among genera was poor, probably due to a fast radiation of the tribe dated to the Miocene and insufficient amount of genetic data. Here we used genomic scale data (395 nuclear loci = 610,965 bp long alignment and mitogenomes = 14,745 bp) and produced the first fully resolved species tree containing most major lineages of the Praomyini tribe (i.e. all but one currently delimited genera and major intrageneric clades). Results of a fossil-based divergence dating analysis suggest that the radiation started during the Messinian stage (ca. 7 Ma) and was likely linked to a fragmentation of the pan-African Miocene forest. Some lineages remained in the rain forests, while many others adapted to a broad spectrum of new open lowland and montane habitats that appeared at the beginning of Pliocene. Our analyses clearly confirmed the presence of three polyphyletic genera (Praomys, Myomyscus and Mastomys). We review current knowledge of these three genera and suggest corresponding taxonomic changes. To keep genera monophyletic, we propose taxonomic re-arrangements and delimit four new genera. Furthermore, we discovered a new highly divergent genetic lineage of Praomyini in southwestern Ethiopia, which is described as a new species and genus.

Graphical abstract

 

Keywords: Late Miocene, Radiation, Anchored phylogenomics, Rodentia, Tropical Africa, Complete mitochondrial DNA, Taxonomy

Praomys Thomas, 1915

Montemys Nicolas & Bryja, gen. nov. 

Type species: Epimys delectorum Thomas, 1910. 

Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 8, 6: 430.

Etymology: The new generic name is a masculine noun composed of Latin “montem” (mountain) and greek “mys” (mouse). Oldfield Thomas described the type species of this genus in 1910 from S Malawi, Mulanje (=Mlanji) Plateau, 5500 ft., and all known populations of the genus are known to live in montane forests of Eastern Africa (Bryja et al., 2014, Carleton and Stanley, 2012).

Species included: Montemys delectorum (Thomas, 1910).

English name: Several names were previously proposed for this species: Delicate Soft-furred Mice, Delectable Soft-furred Mouse, Delicate Praomys and East African Praomys (Wilson et al., 2017). Given that it is no longer included in the genus Praomys and that the term “soft-furred” is usually used for Praomys species, we propose to use the name Delicate Montane Mouse for Montemys delectorum.

Congomys Nicolas & Bryja, gen. nov. 

Type species: Praomys tullbergi lukolelae Hatt, 1934. 

Am. Mus. Novit., 708: 13.

Etymology: The new generic name is a masculine noun composed of “Congo” (geographical name) and “mys” (=mouse). The name acknowledges the Congo Basin, where the two currently known species of this genus are endemic.

Species included: Congomys lukolelae (Hatt, 1934); 

Congomys verschureni (Verheyen & Van der Straeten, 1977).

English names: Several names were previously proposed for C. lukolelae (Lukolela soft-furred mouse, Lukolela Praomys and Lukolela Swamp rat) and C. verschureni (Verschuren’s Praomys or Verschuren Swamp rat) (Wilson et al., 2017). Given that these species are no longer included into the genus Praomys and that the term “soft-furred” is usually used for Praomys species, we propose using the names Lukolela Swamp rat for C. lukolelae and Verschuren’s Swamp rat for C. verschureni.

Myomyscus

 Species included: M. verreauxii (Smith, 1834)

English name: The names Verreaux’s Meadow Mouse, Verreaux’s Myomyscus, Verreaux’s White-footed Rat and White-footed Mouse are commonly used for this species (Wilson et al. 2017). We propose to retain the name Verreaux’s Meadow Mouse for this species.

Ochromyscus Nicolas, Mikula & Bryja, gen. nov. 

Type species: Mus brockmani Thomas, 1906. 

Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 7, 18: 298.

Etymology: The new generic name is a masculine noun composed of “ωχρος” [ochros] (which means “pale” in Greek) and “myscus” (derived from myskos = small mouse, diminutive of mys = mouse). The name acknowledges the typical color of these rodents, which has no bright hue.

 

Species included: Ochromyscus brockmani (Thomas, 1906); 

Ochromyscus yemeni (Sanborn & Hoogstraal, 1953).

English name: We propose the name White-bellied Rocky mouse, because the purely white belly is typical of all species within this genus and they are most abundant in rocky outcrops.

Serengetimys Nicolas & Bryja, gen. nov. 

Type species: Rattus pernanus Kershaw, 1921. 

Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 9, 8: 568.

Etymology: The new generic name is a masculine noun composed of “Serengenti” (geographical name) and “mys” (=mouse). P. S. Kershaw described the type species of this genus in 1921 from Amala (=upper course of Mara) River in southern Kenya. All known records (except an aberrant specimen from Eastern Tanzania and an unconfirmed record from Rwanda) of this monotypic genus are from the so-called Serengeti ecosystem with prevailing grasslands in northern Tanzania and southern Kenya (Van der Straeten, 1999).

Species included: Serengetimys pernanus (Kershaw, 1921).

English name: Dwarf Serengeti mouse. Happold (2013) proposed the English name “Dwarf Multimammate Mouse”, because it was thought that the species belong to the genus Mastomys (“multimammate mice”). However, our first observation of a lactating female from southern Kenya revealed that they have only five pairs of nipples.

Mastomys 

Mastomys angolensis (Bocage, 1890), comb. nov.

Species included: M. angolensis (Bocage, 1890), M. awashensis Lavrenchenko, Likhnova & Baskevich, 1998, M. coucha (Smith, 1834), M. erythroleucus (Temminck, 1853), M. huberti (Wroughton, 1909), M. kollmannspergeri (Petter, 1957), M. natalensis (Smith, 1834), M. shortridgei (St. Leger, 1933)

Chingawaemys Lavrenchenko, Mikula & Bryja, gen. nov. 

Type species: Chingawaemys rarus, 

the new species described below.

Etymology: The new generic name is a masculine noun composed of “Chingawa” (geographical name) and the Greek “mys”, referring to mouse, or rat in this case. The name acknowledges the Chingawa Forest, where the single known species of this genus is endemic.

Chingawaemys rarus Lavrenchenko, Mikula & Bryja, sp. nov.

Etymology: The species name is derived from the Latin word “rarus” – rare (see Ecology).

English name: We propose the vernacular name “Chingawa Forest Rat” for Chingawaemys rarus sp. nov. The name reflects that this rare rodent appears to be endemic to the unique Chingawa Forest.

 

 

Violaine Nicolas, Ondřej Mikula, Leonid A. Lavrenchenko, Radim Šumbera, Veronika Bartáková, Anna Bryjová, Yonas Meheretu, Erik Verheyen, Alain Didier Missoup, Alan R. Lemmon, Emily Moriarty Lemmon and Josef Bryja. 2021. Phylogenomics of African Radiation of Praomyini (Muridae: Murinae) Rodents: First fully resolved Phylogeny, Evolutionary History and Delimitation of Extant Genera. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 163, 107263. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2021.107263 

[Arachnida • 2024] Assamhoplites martensis • African Highland Harvestman: New Genus and New Species of Filopalpinae Martens, 2022 (Opiliones: Assamiidae) from Wonchi Crater, Oromia Province, Ethiopia

 

 Assamhoplites martensis 

 Porto, Kontos & Pérez-González, 2024

 zoosystema.com/46/22 

 x.com/AbelAracno

The family Assamiidae Sørensen, 1884, within the suborder Laniatores Thorell, 1876, of Opiliones remains poorly studied, with challenges arising from typology-based systematics and limited sampling, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. The recent discovery of Filopalpinae Martens, 2022, a new subfamily, highlighted the underexplored richness in Ethiopia. In this study, we describe a new genus and species, Assamhoplites martensis n. gen., n. sp., from the northwestern Ethiopian Highlands, adding a crucial piece to the understanding of the diversity of harvestmen in the region. Our findings reveal the unique distribution of Filopalpinae within the Ethiopian Montane Moorlands ecoregion, a biodiversity hotspot. This area high altitudes, humidity, and temperate climate make it an ideal refuge for harvestmen. This discovery prompts further exploration to determine if Filopalpinae represents altitude relicts or a widespread lineage. The sexual dimorphism in pedipalp morphology, observed not only in Assamhoplites martensis n. gen., n. sp. but also in related species, raises intriguing questions about the evolutionary significance of such extreme modifications. The study underscores the importance of considering both morphological and biogeographical factors in taxonomic classifications, illustrated by the creation of the monotypic genus Assamhoplites n. gen. based on differences in pedipalp morphology and distribution. The northwestern Ethiopian Highlands, separated by the Great Rift Valley, act as a possible biogeographical barrier influencing the diversification of these harvestmen. This study provides insights into the intricate evolutionary processes shaping the unique diversity of the fauna of the Ethiopian highlands.

Keywords: Afrotropics, genital morphology, Grassatores, sexual dimorphism, new species, new genus

 Assamhoplites martensis n. gen., n. sp.

 Assamhoplites martensis n. gen., n. sp.

 

Willians PORTO, Panagiotis KONTOS and Abel PÉREZ-GONZÁLEZ. 2024. African Highland Harvestman: New Genus and New Species of Filopalpinae Martens, 2022 (Opiliones, Assamiidae) from Wonchi Crater, Oromia Province, Ethiopia. Zoosystema. 46(22); 577-587.  zoosystema.com/46/22

  x.com/AbelAracno/status/1836471424455786969 

[Ichthyology • 2024] Enteromius niggie • Naming the other Cousin: A New Goldie Barb (Cyprinidae: Smiliogastrininae) from the northeast escarpment in South Africa, with proposed taxonomic rearrangement of the goldie barb group in southern Africa

  

Enteromius niggie

Scheepers, Bragança & Chakona, 2024 

 

 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15870

 

Abstract

A growing body of evidence indicates that the global diversity of freshwater fishes has not been fully documented. Studies of freshwater fishes that were previously thought to be morphologically variable have revealed the existence of deeply divergent lineages, with many distinct species. In southern Africa a number of Enteromius species exhibit either exceedingly wide or divided distribution patterns that should be rare for freshwater fishes with limited dispersal opportunities between river systems. One such species is the sidespot barb, Enteromius neefi. As currently defined, E. neefi has a disjunct distribution that is divided between rivers in the northeast escarpment in South Africa and Eswatini, and tributaries of the Upper Zambezi in Zambia and southern Congo in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with a large geographic gap between these two populations. With the use of molecular and morphological methods, the level of divergence between the two populations was examined, and a new species was described from the Steelpoort River in the Limpopo River system of South Africa. Findings from this study provide further evidence for a number of taxonomic problems within the goldie barbs of southern Africa, and some taxonomic rearrangements are proposed for this group.

Keywords: color pattern, Cypriniformes, integrative taxonomy, systematics

 

General body features and live colouration of Enteromius niggie sp. nov.
 (a) Male during breeding season, field ID NPEJ21-B081 37.9 mm SL (SAIAB360).
(b) Male during non-breeding season, field ID NPEJ21-B080, 41.1 mm SL, holotype (SAIAB 236359).

Enteromius niggie sp. nov. 

[niggie: ‘nᶕᶍi] (g/ch from Afrikaans/Dutch) is pronounced with a hard guttural sound, made at the back of the throat.

 Proposed common names: Southern sidespot barb; 

Suidelike sykol ghieliemientjie (Afrikaans).

  Diagnosis: E. niggie sp. nov. belongs to the goldie barb group in southern Africa, which is characterized by species with a soft primary dorsal-fin ray, a relatively short compact body (<70 mm SL), the presence of two pairs of well-developed barbels, 24–30 lateral line scales, and a bright golden breeding colouration in males. Along with E. niggie the goldie barb group includes the species E. pallidus (Smith 1841), E. brevipinnis (Jubb 1966), E. neefi s.s. (Greenwood, 1962), E. thamalakanensis (Fowler 1935), E. greenwoodi (Poll, 1967), E. lineomaculatus “Malawi” (Boulenger 1903), and E. viviparus (Weber 1897). E. niggie and E. neefi can be readily distinguished from all the aforementioned species by the presence of distinctive pigmentation along the margins of flank scales that are expressed as wavy parallel lines (Figure 4a,b). Further, E. niggie can be distinguished from E. neefi by the lack of wavy parallel lines below the lateral line (Figure 4c) and by the lack of dark bold and rounded spots on the dorsal midline of the body (Figure 4d).

Etymology: When describing the species E. neefi, Greenwood (1962) used the Afrikaans word neef, which means “male cousin,” a humorous acknowledgment to Graham Bell-Cross (1927–1998) who collected the types of E. neefi and often called Greenwood by the Afrikaans word oom which means “uncle” (Paul Skelton, personal communication). Therefore, in keeping with Afrikaans familial terms, the use of nig [‘nᶕᶍ] to name the new species, which means “female cousin,” is a symbolic representation of the historical association between these two species, which were considered to represent disjunct populations of the same species.

Martinus Scheepers, Pedro H. N. Bragança and Albert Chakona. 2024. Naming the other Cousin: A New Goldie Barb (Cyprinidae: Smiliogastrininae) from the northeast escarpment in South Africa, with proposed taxonomic rearrangement of the goldie barb group in southern Africa. Journal of Fish Biology. DOI: doi.org/10.1111/jfb.15870

[Ichthyology • 2020] Enteromius yardiensis • A New Species of Enteromius (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae: Smiliogastrinae) from the Awash River, Ethiopia, and the Re-establishment of E. akakianus

Enteromius yardiensis 

Englmaier, Tesfaye & Bogutskaya, 2020

 

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.902.39606

Abstract

In the present study, populations of small-sized smiliogastrin barbs with a thickened and serrated last simple dorsal-fin ray distributed in the Main Ethiopian Rift were analysed. An integrated approach combining genetic markers and a variety of morphological methods based on a wide set of characters, including osteology and sensory canals, proved to be very productive for taxonomy in this group of fishes. The results showed that Ethiopian Enteromius species with a serrated dorsal-fin ray are distant from the true E. paludinosus (with E. longicauda as a synonym) and the so-called E. paludinosus complex involves several supposedly valid species with two distinct species occurring in the Main Ethiopian Rift area. A new species, Enteromius yardiensis sp. nov., is described from the Afar Depression in the north-eastern part of the Northern Main Ethiopian Rift. Enteromius akakianus is resurrected as a valid species including populations from the Central Main Ethiopian Rift (basins of lakes Langano, Ziway, and Awasa). No genetic data were available for E. akakianus from its type locality. Enteromius yardiensis sp. nov. is clearly distant from E. akakianus from the Central Main Ethiopian Rift by CO1 and cytb barcodes: pairwise distances between the new species and the Ethiopian congeners were 5.4 % to 11.0 %. Morphologically, the new species most clearly differs from all examined Ethiopian congeners by three specialisations which are unique in the group: the absence of the anterior barbel, the absence of the medial branch of the supraorbital sensory canal, and few, 1–3, commonly two, scale rows between the lateral line and the anus.

Keywords: East Africa, Main Ethiopian Rift, morphology, CO1 and cytb sequences, zoogeography

Dorsal fin in Enteromius yardiensis sp. nov., paratype, NMW 99259, side channel of Awash R. at Kada Bada (site 2), 37.6 mm SL, with four unbranched rays. Arrow 1 showing first unbranched dorsal-fin ray, arrow 2 showing relative positions of tip of penultimate (3rd) unbranched dorsal-fin ray and lowermost limit of serrated part of last (4th) unbranched dorsal-fin ray.

Enteromius yardiensis sp. nov. alive, paratype, NMW 99640, Awash R. at Aditu (site 3), 35.4 mm SL.

Photograph by W. Graf.

Enteromius yardiensis sp. nov.

Diagnosis: Enteromius yardiensis sp. nov. belongs to a phenotypic group characterised by small size and the last unbranched dorsal-fin ray thickened and serrated. The new species is readily distinguished from its Ethiopian congeners by three unique specialisations: the absence of the anterior barbel, the absence of the medial branch of the supraorbital cephalic canal and few, 1–3, commonly two, scale rows between lateral line and anus. It further differs by posterior barbel usually shorter than half eye diameter; eye large, its diameter 24–34 % HL; snout short and pointed; lateral line complete and strongly curved; scales in the lateral series 32–35; few transversal scale rows between lateral line and pelvic-fin base (1–3); scale rows between dorsal- and pelvic-fin origins 7–10; often four unbranched dorsal-fin rays; few branched pectoral-fin rays, commonly 12 or 13; 17 or 18 abdominal vertebrae; 10–12 predorsal abdominal vertebrae; and 6–9 vertebrae between first pterygiophores of dorsal and anal fins.

 

Etymology: The species name yardiensis refers to Lake Yardi [the Lower Awash River and interconnected lakes], where the new species is abundant.

Alizarin-stained specimens showing cephalic sensory canals and infraorbitals in
A Enteromius yardiensis sp. nov. (same specimen as in Fig. 8)
B Enteromius sp. CMER, NMW 99237, Lake Ziway (site 8), 34.8 mm SL.
Arrows showing part of frontal with no canal in A and medial branch of supraorbital canal (CSO) in B.

 

Gernot K. Englmaier, Genanaw Tesfaye and Nina G. Bogutskaya. 2020. A New Species of Enteromius (Actinopterygii, Cyprinidae, Smiliogastrinae) from the Awash River, Ethiopia, and the Re-establishment of E. akakianus. ZooKeys. 902: 107-150. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.902.39606

[Herpetology • 2023] Psammophis cornusafricae • Diversity of Sand Snakes (Serpentes: Psammophiidae: Psammophis) in the Horn of Africa, with the Description of A New Species from Somalia

Psammophis cornusafricae

Šmíd, Fernández, Elmi & Mazuch, 2023

 DOI: 10.3897/zse.99.101943

Abstract

The biological diversity of the Horn of Africa is one of the least studied in the world. Yet the Horn supports rich communities of species that are mostly endemic to the region. Here we study the diversity of Sand Snakes (Psammophis) in East Africa, their phylogeny and systematics. Previous studies have unveiled several cryptic and potentially undescribed species of Psammophis that occur in the Horn and their taxonomic status has remained unclear to this day. We used sequence data from two mitochondrial and one nuclear genes to reconstruct the phylogeny of the genus, in which we included newly obtained samples of six different Psammophis species from Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, and Egypt. Our aim was to assess the status of some of the undescribed species, examine the level of intraspecific genetic variation within individual species, improve our understanding of the species distributions, and contribute to the taxonomy of the genus. Our results confirm the existence of two undescribed species, one in eastern Somalia, which we formally describe as new, and one in southern Ethiopia that we refer to as Psammophis cf. sudanensis in accordance with previous studies. Further, we provide first genetic data for the nominotypical subspecies of P. punctulatus and confirm the species status for its subspecies P. trivirgatus. In addition, we provide new genetic data for P. tanganicus from Ethiopia and Somalia, and range extension records for P. rukwae from Eritrea and Ethiopia and for P. aegyptius from Somalia. Our findings contribute considerably to our understanding of the diversity and distribution of Psammophis in East Africa.

Key Words: East Africa, Eritrea, Ethiopia, phylogeny, Reptilia, sand racers, Serpentes

Psammophis cornusafricae sp. nov. in life (specimen NMP-P6V 76373, sample JIR510), with a close-up of the head in the upper left corner, and the habitat at the locality where the specimen was found (8.5 km S of Yuffleh, Somaliland) at the bottom.

   

Psammophis cornusafricae sp. nov.

Diagnosis: A Psammophis species sister to P. tanganicus, with the following combination of morphological characters: 11 infralabials; 9 supralabials, three of which are in contact with the eye; nostril pierced between two equal sized nasals; 15 anterior dorsals; 14–15 midbody dorsals; 11 posterior dorsals; 146–158 ventrals; 95–100 subcaudals. Body brown, grey or beige with only a faintly visible pale vertebral stripe but with well pronounced dorsolateral orange stripes on each side of the body. Tail with only a slight trace of or completely lacking any dark vertebral stripe; the posterior half of the tail uniformly pale yellow. Venter white to yellowish with a conspicuous stipple of irregular dark smears. Head dorsally with a symmetrical pattern of brown markings outlined by black margins which contrast with the grey or beige background coloration. Labials white with dark margins forming a black lip. Dark brown temporal stripe outlined by black blotches and stretching from the eye to the posterior end of the head.

 English name: African Horn Sand Snake Somali name: Subxaanyo [pronounced Subhanyo]; a term in the Somali language that refers to all Psammophis species that occur in the region. All Subxaanyo are believed to be harmless and friendly by the locals and are an important part of their folklore

Etymology: The species epithet indicates the geographic origin of the species and translates as “The Sand Snake of the Africa’s Horn”. It is a noun in the genitive case that is derived from the Latin words for horn (cornu-us) and Africa (Africa-ae).

 

Jiří Šmíd, Sergio Matilla Fernández, Hassan Sh Abdirahman Elmi and Tomáš Mazuch. 2023. Diversity of Sand Snakes (Psammophiidae, Psammophis) in the Horn of Africa, with the Description of A New Species from Somalia. Zoosystematics and Evolution. 99(2): 345-361. DOI: 10.3897/zse.99.101943

[Herpetology • 2022] Leptopelis shebellensis & L. xeniae • Genetic and Morphometric Analyses of Historical Type Specimens Clarify the Taxonomy of the Ethiopian Leptopelis gramineus Species Complex (Anura, Arthroleptidae)

Leptopelis shebellensis & Leptopelis xeniae

Goutte, Reyes-Velasco, Kassie & Boissinot, 2022

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1128.82176  

 twitter.com/Sandra_Goutte 

Abstract

Frogs of the genus Leptopelis have diversified in the Ethiopian Highlands to occupy forests and montane grasslands both east and west of the Great Rift Valley. Genetic studies revealed that the endemic species Leptopelis gramineus (Boulenger, 1898) comprises multiple unnamed taxa. A careful examination of historical type specimens is, however, needed to fully resolve the taxonomy of the group. Here we use mitochondrial DNA and morphological analyses on a large sample of recently-collected Ethiopian Leptopelis, as well as century-old type specimens to demonstrate that the recently resurrected L. montanus Tiutenko & Zinenko, 2021 (previously Pseudocassina ocellata Ahl, 1924) is a junior synonym of L. rugosus (Ahl, 1924) and corresponds to the taxon found west of the Great Rift Valley, not east as previously thought. Our results show that populations inhabiting the mountains and plateaus east of the Rift constitute a distinct and undescribed species. We provide a re-description of L. rugosus and describe two new species inhabiting the Highlands east of the Great Rift Valley. We provide an identification key, as well as a description of the calls of the members of the Leptopelis gramineus species complex.

Keywords: African treefrogs, Afromontane, historical DNA, integrative taxonomy, Leptopelis shebellensis sp. nov., Leptopelis xeniae sp. nov., museomics, new species

 Leptopelis rugosus (Ahl, 1924)

Diagnosis: A large (male (n = 22) SVL 38.7 ± 2.7 mm, female (n = 2) SVL 52.4 ± 0.2 mm) species of the Leptopelis gramineus species complex (Figs 5, 6). Robust, semi-fossorial form. It differs from other members of the Leptopelis gramineus species complex by the following combination of characters: (1) large tympanum (male TD/ED 0.57 ± 0.11, female TD/ED 0.54), (2) long snout (male SL/HL 0.25 ± 0.02, female SL/HL 0.27 ± 0.01), (3) well-developed metatarsal tubercle (male MTL/FL 0.17 ± 0.02, female MTL/FL 0.18 ± 0.02), (4) ventrum lacking any brown spots, (5) yellow colouration on the side of the ventrum and the inner thighs almost always present.

 Leptopelis shebellensis Goutte, Reyes-Velasco, Kassie & Boissinot, sp. nov.

 Common name: Shebelle River burrowing African treefrog.

Diagnosis: Medium to large (male (n = 21) SVL 35.9 ± 3.5 mm, female (n = 5) SVL 53.4 ± 5.3 mm), robust semi-fossorial species of the Leptopelis gramineus species complex (Fig. 7). It differs from other members of the Leptopelis gramineus species complex by the following combination of characters: (1) short and robust hind-limbs (male TL/SVL 0.33 ± 0.03, female TL/SVL 0.30 ± 0.02), (2) well-developed metatarsal tubercle (male MTL/FL 0.17 ± 0.03, female MTL/FL 0.16 ± 0.02), (3) longer snout (male SL/HL 0.23 ± 0.03, female SL/HL 0.24 ± 0.02), (4) toe and fingertips not enlarged and (5) ventrum often with dark brown spots and/or yellowish sides.

Etymology: The specific name refers to the Shebelle River, as the distribution range of the species appears restricted to the Shebelle River Basin, with populations found both north and south of the source of the river (Fig. 1).

 Leptopelis xeniae Goutte, Reyes-Velasco, Kassie & Boissinot, sp. nov.

 Common name: English: Xenia’s African treefrog.

 

Diagnosis: Small to medium-sized (male (n = 20) SVL 27.6 ± 2.0 mm, female (n = 2) SVL 43.5 ± 5.7 mm), robust arboreal species of the Leptopelis gramineus species complex (Fig. 8). It differs from other members of the Leptopelis gramineus species complex by the following combination of characters: (1) thin, elongated hind-limbs (male TL/SVL 0.36 ± 0.02, female TL/SVL 0.37 ± 0.03), (2) small metatarsal tubercle (male MTL/SVL 0.07 ± 0.01, female MTL/SVL 0.06 ± 0.00) (2) inter-orbital distance very short (male IOD/ED 0.88 ± 0.16, female IOD/ED 0.69 ± 0.12), (3) dorsal skin always smooth, except in females where it may be slightly rugose, (4) absence of yellow colouration on the ventrum or inner thighs.

Etymology: Leptopelis xeniae sp. nov. is named after Xenia Freilich, who conducted her doctoral research on Ethiopian anurans, including the Leptopelis gramineus complex.

 Sandra Goutte, Jacobo Reyes-Velasco, Abeje Kassie and Stéphane Boissinot. 2022. Genetic and Morphometric Analyses of Historical Type Specimens Clarify the Taxonomy of the Ethiopian Leptopelis gramineus Species Complex (Anura, Arthroleptidae). ZooKeys. 1128: 63-97.  DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1128.82176 

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