The two-horned chamaeleons of East Africa

Abstract

There have been numerous attempts to resolve the taxonomy of the two-horned chamaeleons of East Africa. However, the high levels of intraspecific variation and reported sympatry of morphologically distinct taxa indicate that their current classification is unsatisfactory. Tissue samples were collected from specimens from most mountain massifs (excluding the Nguu) where two-horned chamaeleons are known to occur and were used to sequence partial 12S and 16S rRNA, as well as ND2 mtDNA genes. These specimens and further museum material were used to review morphological variation and to define discriminating characters for each taxon. Phylogenetic analyses of gene sequences show clear genetic divergence between allopatric populations, although two lineages occur in sympatry in the East Usambara Mountains, and is supported by divergent morphology. In light of these results a formal revision of the taxonomy of all East African two-horned chamaeleons is proposed and seven species are recognized (Kinyongia boehmei, K. fischeri, K. matschiei, K. multituberculata, K. tavetana, K. uluguruensis and K. vosseleri). These taxa form a monophyletic group except for K. uluguruensis, which seems to be more closely related to one-horned species. Most of these taxa have been previously described and subsequently reduced to synonyms. Two other previously described two-horned taxa are not recognized as valid: Chamaeleo tornieri is considered species inquiriendae, and C. fischeri werneri is placed in synonymy with K. multituberculata. A dichotomous key is provided for the identification of these taxa and some aspects of their conservation, ecology and evolutionary origins are also discussed.

<strong>The “<em>Rhampholeon</em> <em>uluguruensis</em> complex” (Squamata: Chamaeleonidae) and the taxonomic status of the pygmy chameleons in Tanzania</strong>

“…Turner & Channing 2008;Tolley et al 2010). This is probably due to a long history of isolation in forest fragments, similar to chameleons in the genus Kinyongia (Tolley et al 2011;Mariaux et al 2008), which occur in the same forest fragments as the Rhampholeon species in our study. Despite the large genetic differentiation between the candidate species, the phenotypes are extremely similar and particularly difficult to distinguish using traditional morphological characters.…”

Scaling of the ballistic tongue apparatus in chameleons

“…To estimate the relationships among chameleon species for phylogenetically corrected analysis, 15 composite phylogenies of differing topologies and branch lengths were constructed by combining the results from several molecular studies (Fig. 2; Townsend and Larson,2002; Tilbury et al,2006; Mariaux et al,2008; Tilbury and Tolley,2009a; Townsend et al,2009, 2011).…”

Niche conservatism and species richness patterns of squamate reptiles in eastern and southern Africa

“…As our data sources were more than 10 years old, we also incorporated data from more recent sources (e.g. Mariaux & Tilbury 2006; Alexander & Marais 2007; Tolley & Burger 2007; Mariaux et al . 2008) to update distributions and incorporate newly described species.…”