Mesotriton? Lissotriton? weren't they all just triturus?

[patrick]

Back in the day I always wanted a smooth newt or an alpine newt. I specifically remember them being in triturus at the time. When I found this site I read here that they were now mesotriton and lissotriton. I wasn't sure that they ever were in triturus, but upon browsing photo archives I found that even two years ago people were still naming them triturus alpestris and so on.

my question is when and why did the genus names change? does it have to do with the genetics or what?

 

[william]

yes is the short answer. back in late 2004 i believe. basically there are now 4 genera: Lissotriton, Mesotriton, Ommatotriton & Triturus. Lissotriton contains the "small bodied Triturus" namely, montadoni, vulgaris, helveticus, italicus and boscai. Mesotriton is just "triturus" alpestris, Triturus is the remainer (karelinii, cristatus, carnifex, dobrogicus, marmoratus & pygmaeus. Ommaotriton contains 2 species, the "triturus" vittatus and it's former subspeices ophryticus.

hope that helps to clarify things!

 

[francesco]

Hi Will
What's the title of the article?

 

[william]

can't remember, but I think it was by Garcia and someone else. I don't have a copy, wish I had! I think it is in Spanish anyway, though I may be wrong...

Ommatotriton was split in another paper again.

(Message edited by will_j on September 17, 2006)

 

[kamil]

As posted HERE already, here again:


García-París, M., A. Montori & P. Herrero (2004): Amphibia: Lissamphibia. – Fauna Iberica Vol. 24. Madrid: Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales and Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas.

Litvinchuk, S. N., A. Zuiderwijk, L. J. Borkin & J. M. Rosanov (2005): Taxonomic status of Triturus vittatus (Amphibia: Salamandridae) in western Turkey: trunk vertebrae count, genome size and allozyme data. – Amphibia-Reptilia 26 (3):305-323.

Garcia: Lissotrion, Mesotriton, Triturus

Litvinchuk: Lophinus, Mesotriton, Triturus, Ommatotriton

 

[roy]

Although looking at websites on caudata as pets might make you think otherwise, this name change is not universally accepted. For instance the Dutch (RAVON)The Belgian (Hylas) and British Herpetological society (Froglife) do not accept it and name all of them Triturus.

The main argument to split the genus is that Neurergus is thought to fall within Triturus so has to be called Triturus or Triturus has to be split. But this is based on only very few studies, so that is quite weak. More importantly other closely related genera (like Cynops) are left out of the analysis. This entire change is based on half the information you'll need.
I think it's best to wait until the picture is clear and than change in stead of changing every time there is a new piece of information.

So for me there all just Triturus.