Taxonomic study and morphology based phylogeny of the patagonic clade Liolaemus melanops group (Iguania: Liolaemidae), with the description of three new taxa

Abstract

The genus Liolaemus is a group of lizards with more than 230 recognized species, which have been grouped in differentclades and subgroups. One of the monophyletic groups is the one of Liolaemus boulengeri or “the patch group”; this cladeitself is integrated by several monophyletic groups: the groups Liolaemus anomalus, Liolaemus wiegmanii, Liolaemusdarwinii and Liolaemus melanops. The latter group is constituted almost exclusively by Patagonian lizards, and it is ourfocal group. In the present work we describe three new species belonging to the Liolaemus melanops group. One of thenew taxon described, Liolaemus tromen sp. nov., is related to the Liolaemus fitzingerii clade, inhabits in the Center-Westof Neuquén Province, and was confused initially with Liolaemus hermannunezi, a mountain Chilean species. The secondspecies described, Liolaemus purul sp. nov., belongs to the Liolaemus telsen clade, inhabits in the center and north-westof Neuquén Province, and was confused first with Liolaemus boulengeri and then with Liolaemus loboi. While the thirdspecies, Liolaemus dumerili sp. nov., is basal of the L. goetschi group, inhabits in the center-south of Río Negro provinceand was considered as Liolaemus melanops. In addition, we present a phylogenetic analysis based in the morphology and we contribute with a dichotomic key for males of the Liolaemus melanops group.

Integrative taxonomy in the Liolaemus fitzingerii complex (Squamata: Liolaemini) based on morphological analyses and niche modeling

“…1). To select morphological variables, we searched for literature focused on species descriptions of the Liolaemus fitzingerii complex (Cei & Scolaro 1980;Avila et al 2006Avila et al , 2008Avila et al , 2010Abdala 2007;2012a;2012b), and we included a total of 11 continuous and 9 discrete characters from adult fixed specimens. Scale terminology and measurements follow Smith (1946).…”

“…The fitzingerii group (sensu Avila et al 2006; partially equivalent to 'fitzingerii clade ' Abdala 2007) is distributed from northern Neuquén and Río Negro provinces to southern Santa Cruz province (Escudero et al 2012) and comprises two species complexes: fitzingerii and melanops (sensu Avila et al 2006Avila et al , 2010Escudero et al 2012). To test if classical morphometric analyses and ecological niche modeling can differentiate closely related Liolaemus species, we considered the five species currently included within the fitzingerii complex: Liolaemus fitzingerii, L. xanthoviridis (Cei & Scolaro 1980), L. chehuachekenk (Avila et al 2008) and the recently described L. camarones and L. shehuen (Abdala et al 2012b). Several controversial taxonomic arrangements have been proposed for this species complex since the 1970's (Donoso- Barros & Cei 1971;Cei 1973; to the present (Abdala et al 2012a;2012b).…”

“…To test if classical morphometric analyses and ecological niche modeling can differentiate closely related Liolaemus species, we considered the five species currently included within the fitzingerii complex: Liolaemus fitzingerii, L. xanthoviridis (Cei & Scolaro 1980), L. chehuachekenk (Avila et al 2008) and the recently described L. camarones and L. shehuen (Abdala et al 2012b). Several controversial taxonomic arrangements have been proposed for this species complex since the 1970's (Donoso- Barros & Cei 1971;Cei 1973; to the present (Abdala et al 2012a;2012b). The main problem related to species limits and diversity in the L. fitzingerii complex, may be linked to the proliferation of species concepts and operational criteria throughout these last three decades.…”