AVIS-IBIS

Birds of Indian Subcontinent

Calabaria and the phytogeny of erycine snakes

Publication Type:Journal Article
Year of Publication:1993
Authors:KLUGE, ARNOLDG
Journal:Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
Volume:107
Issue:4
Date Published:1993
ISBN Number:1096-3642
Keywords:biogeography, Cladistics, Corvidae, erycines, fossils, Garrulus, Garrulus glandarius, taxonomy, World
Abstract:Two major subgroups of erycine snakes, designated Charina and Eryx, are delimited with a cladistic analysis of 75 morphological characters. The hypotheses of species relationships within the two clades are (reinhardtii (bottae, trivirgata)) and (colubrinus, conicus, elegans, jayakari, muelleri, somalicus (miliaris (tataricus (jaculus, johnii)))), respectively. This pattern of grouping obtains without assuming multistate character additivity. At least 16 synapomorphies indicate that reinhardtii is an erycine and that it is the sister lineage of the (bottae, trivirgata) clade. Calabaria and Lichanura are synonymized with Charina for reasons of taxonomic efficiency, and to emphasize the New-Old World geographic distribution of the three species in that assemblage. Further resolution of Eryx species relationships is required before Gongylophis (type species conicus) can be recognized.
URL:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1993.tb00290.x
Short Title:Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
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