The freshwater turtle genus Mauremys (Testudines, Geoemydidae) — a textbook example of an east–west disjunction or a taxonomic misconcept?

Abstract

a textbook example of an east-west disjunction or a taxonomic misconcept? -Zoologica Scripta , 33 , 213-221. We compare 1036 bp of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (cyt b ) from all six Mauremys species with 16 other taxa, representing both currently recognized subfamilies of the Geoemydidae (Geoemydinae and Batagurinae) to contribute a comprehensive dataset towards resolving the conflicting Mauremys taxonomy and phylogeography. Mauremys , a representative of the Geoemydinae, is thought to be an example of a taxon with an east-west disjunction due to Pleistocene glacial extinction, with species occurring in the western Palearctic and species in the eastern Palearctic and Oriental regions. Our results contradict this traditional zoogeographical scheme and the current taxonomy of the Geoemydidae. Mauremys is paraphyletic with respect to two East Asian genera belonging to the Batagurinae: Chinemys and Ocadia . Therefore, Mauremys , as currently understood, clearly represents a taxonomic misconcept. Mauremys + Chinemys + Ocadia contains four well supported clades, two of which -M. japonica + Chinemys + Ocadia and M. annamensis + M. mutica -are confined to eastern Asia. The other two -M. caspica + M. rivulata and M. leprosa -occur in the western Palearctic. Mauremys leprosa may represent an ancient lineage which differentiated before the split between the other western and eastern species occurred. The patchy distribution of the four clades is likely the result of several ancient radiations rather than of a Pleistocene extinction. The sister-group of Mauremys + Chinemys + Ocadia is Cuora , a morphologically highly specialized genus with a complicated shell hinging mechanism.

Mitochondrial variation of the “eyed” turtles (Sacalia) based on known-locality and trade specimens

“…The outgroup sequences and ingroup sequences #s 2-4, 11, 21, 23, 25 are from Spinks et al (2004) and #s 9, 15 from Barth et al (2004). Note specimen #32 (R0520) is a voucher at Hainan Normal University, and #19 has no voucher because it was used in a study that required destructive sampling of the specimen.…”

Mauremys annamensis (Siebenrock 1903) – Vietnamese Pond Turtle, Annam Pond Turtle, Rùa Trung Bộ.

“…Three distinct clades were recovered from the nuDNA -M. annamensis, M. 'mutica' from Hainan Island, China, and M. mutica from mainland eastern China. However, only two distinct clades were formed by the mtDNA, with mainland Barth et al 2004;Spinks et al 2004) analyses have confirmed that the two taxa are each other's closest living relatives. However, the exact taxonomic relationship between M. annamensis and M. mutica is unclear.…”

“…Initial molecular studies using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) found substantial differences between M. annamensis and M. mutica (Barth et al 2004;Spinks et al 2004). However, a more comprehensive mtDNA study found M. mutica to be paraphyletic with respect to M. annamensis, with M. mutica from eastern China forming one clade and • Chelonian Research Monographs,No.…”

A new species of the genus <i>Ocadia</i> (Testudines: Geoemydidae) from the middle Miocene of Tanegashima Island, southwestern Japan and its paleogeographic implications

“…In recent molecular phylogenetic studies, this genus has been frequently synonymized with Mauremys along with Chinemys (e.g., Fritz and Havaš 2007;Turtle Taxonomy Working Group 2007;Lovich et al 2011) because O. sinensis, M. japonica and Chinemys spp. form a monophyletic clade and are included in a major, more inclusive clade with the other species of the genus Mauremys sensu stricto (Honda et al 2002;Barth et al 2004;Feldman and Parham 2004;Spinks et al 2004;Sasaki et al 2006;Jiang et al 2011). However, to date, no diagnostic morphological features or synapomorphies are known for the clade embracing O. sinensis, M. japonica, and Chinemys spp.…”

“…or the more inclusive clade including also all other species of Mauremys sensu stricto. To overcome this incongruence between phylogenetic relationships and taxonomic classification, two solutions have been proposed: placing all species into Mauremys or to recognize several distinct genera (Barth et al 2004;Spinks et al 2004). The oldest available name for the clade including O. sinensis, M. japonica, and Chinemys spp.…”