Species Delimitation in Herpetology

Hillis, David M.

doi:10.1670/18-123

Cited by 118 publications

(92 citation statements)

References 108 publications

(82 reference statements)

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“…An evolutionary species concept may delineate separate populations that are morphologically diagnosable, but it says little about whether those populations are reproductively isolated. It is not unusual for a single, morphologically defined species to harbor high levels of genetic variability corresponding to distinct intraspecific lineages (Harris et al 2018;Hillis 2019). It is beyond the scope of this study to discuss the huge body of literature on species delimitation, but recent reviews discuss this problem in detail (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A global catalog of primary reptile type specimens

Uetz

CHERIKH

Shea

et al. 2019

Zootaxa

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We present information on primary type specimens for 13,282 species and subspecies of reptiles compiled in the Reptile Database, that is, holotypes, neotypes, lectotypes, and syntypes. These represent 99.4% of all 13,361 currently recognized taxa (11,050 species and 2311 subspecies). Type specimens of 653 taxa (4.9%) are either lost or not located, were never designated, or we did not find any information about them. 51 species are based on iconotypes. To map all types to physical collections we have consolidated all synonymous and ambiguous collection acronyms into an unambiguous list of 364 collections holding these primary types. The 10 largest collections possess more than 50% of all (primary) reptile types, the 36 largest collections possess more than 10,000 types and the largest 73 collections possess over 90% of all types. Of the 364 collections, 107 hold type specimens of only 1 species or subspecies. Dozens of types are still in private collections. In order to increase their utility, we recommend that the description of type specimens be supplemented with data from high-resolution images and CT-scans, and clear links to tissue samples and DNA sequence data (when available). We request members of the herpetological community provide us with any missing type information to complete the list.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A global catalog of primary reptile type specimens

Uetz

CHERIKH

Shea

et al. 2019

Zootaxa

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Where geographic sampling is sufficiently extensive, SNP data offer the potential to provide for direct tests of lack of recent genetic introgression between such problematic populations (Singhal et al, 2018). Conversely, increasing use of SNP methods may also serve to highlight instances of taxonomic oversplitting stemming from over-interpretation of morphological variation or results from genetic studies with inadequate sampling of geography and genes Hillis, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Crypsis and convergence: integrative taxonomic revision of the Gehyra australis group (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from northern Australia

Oliver

Prasetya

Tedeschi

et al. 2020

PeerJ

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For over two decades, assessments of geographic variation in mtDNA and small numbers of nuclear loci have revealed morphologically similar, but genetically divergent, intraspecific lineages in lizards from around the world. Subsequent morphological analyses often find subtle corresponding diagnostic characters to support the distinctiveness of lineages, but occasionally do not. In recent years it has become increasingly possible to survey geographic variation by sequencing thousands of loci, enabling more rigorous assessment of species boundaries across morphologically similar lineages. Here we take this approach, adding new, geographically extensive SNP data to existing mtDNA and exon capture datasets for the Gehyra australis and G. koira species complexes of gecko from northern Australia. The combination of exon-based phylogenetics with dense spatial sampling of mitochondrial DNA sequencing, SNP-based tests for introgression at lineage boundaries and newly-collected morphological evidence supports the recognition of nine species, six of which are newly described here. Detection of discrete genetic clusters using new SNP data was especially convincing where candidate taxa were continuously sampled across their distributions up to and across geographic boundaries with analyses revealing no admixture. Some species defined herein appear to be truly cryptic, showing little, if any, diagnostic morphological variation. As these SNP-based approaches are progressively applied, and with all due conservatism, we can expect to see a substantial improvement in our ability to delineate and name cryptic species, especially in taxa for which previous approaches have struggled to resolve taxonomic boundaries.

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“…We argue for use of the taxonomy of Petranka (1998), in which the P. glutinosus complex consists of three species, P. aureolus, P. kentucki, and a single, widespread metapopulation lineage for P. glutinosus. Our analytical approach implements a decision tree advocated by Hillis (2019) for assessing taxonomy based on evaluation of reproductive isolation or restriction of gene flow across putative species boundaries. Within Alabama, we find no evidence of color differences (e.g., Guyer et al, 2019, in this volume) and no unique alleles (Highton, 1989) or haplotypes that diagnose the three taxa proposed for the state by Highton et al (2012).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Using mitochondrial and nuclear sequence data, Wiens et al (2006) and Fisher-Reid and Wiens (2011) reached a similar conclusion, retaining Highton's (1989) taxonomy for the group rather than an alternative one retaining most individuals in a single widespread species (e.g., Petranka, 1998). Hillis (2019) argued that the choice between such competing taxonomies rests on examination of patterns of gene flow across geographic boundaries between populations, with elevation of populations to species status being necessary only if gene flow is restricted due to reproductive isolation, reduced viability of hybrids, or similar factors associated with evolutionary divergence. Increased sampling of populations across their contact zones is vital in making such taxonomic judgments.…”

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confidence: 99%