Resurrection of <i>Paradactylodon</i>

[TJ]

New report:

Phylogeny, evolution, and biogeography of Asiatic Salamanders (Hynobiidae)

Authors: Peng Zhang, Yue-Qin Chen, Hui Zhou, Yi-Fei Liu, Xiu-Ling Wang, Theodore J. Papenfuss, David B. Wake, and Liang-Hu Qu

Publication: PNAS, May 9, 2006, vol. 103, no. 19

excerpts:

"We show that four-toed species assigned to Batrachuperus do not form a monophyletic group, and those that occur in Afghanistan and Iran are transferred to the resurrected Paradactylodon."

"...although the species assigned to Batrachuperus from Central Asia share three significant traits with Chinese members of the genus [aquatic habits, large premaxillary fontanelle, and four toes on the hind limb (19, 27)], Batrachuperus is diphyletic, and the Central and Western Asian species are relatives of Ranodon. However, these species are biologically distinct from Ranodon, which is only semiaquatic and has five toes in the hind limb, and they are not appropriately assigned to that genus. The species B. gorganensis was once assigned to a monophyletic Paradactylodon (28), but this genus has not been recognized (27). We here resurrect the genus Paradactylodon and assign to it three species [mustersi, persicus, and gorganensis; the last may be a synonym of persicus (29)]."

 

[TJ]

And check out these AmphibiaWeb species descriptions by Sergius L. Kuzmin:

** Paradactylodon mustersi:

http://www.amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?query_src=aw_lists_genera_&where-genus=Paradactylodon&where-species=mustersi

** Paradactylodon persicus:

http://www.amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?query_src=aw_lists_genera_&where-genus=Paradactylodon&where-species=persicus

** Paradactylodon gorganenesis:

http://www.amphibiaweb.org/cgi-bin/amphib_query?query_src=aw_search_index&table=amphib&special=one_record&where-genus=Paradactylodon&where-species=gorganenesis

 

[sergé]

It was to be expected. There was already a paper showing that Batrachuperus was non monophyletic. But nice that it is out now. If you can get a pdf of the paper...yes, please!

 

[william]

Hi Tim, very interesting, i'd love a PDF copy of the paper if at all possible

 

[TJ]

Serg, when one clicks on your profile, it says "profile does not exist." Want me to alert John to this? I have your mail address at my home though.

William, I can't send attachments through your Caudata.org address so please mail me your other address

 

[sergé]

Dear Tim,

yes ,please. that's strange, can't remember to have lost my profile somewhere...and I even did some donations againt this year

Yes, please report it to John,

thanks in advance,

sergé

 

[TJ]

Sent & sent!

For anybody else looking for the report, I see that it can be downloaded from the Wake Lab at:

http://ib.berkeley.edu/labs/wake/Papers.html

It's No. 324.

 

[william]

thanks Tim!

it's a great read