Remarks upon the Crotaphytus-Gambelia Controversy (Sauria: Iguanidae)
Montanucci RR. 1969. Remarks upon the Crotaphytus-Gambelia Controversy (Sauria: Iguanidae). Herpetologica. 25(4):308-314
Whether Gambelia merits recognition as a genus distinct from Crotaphytus remains a question unanswered despite the studies of Robinson and Tanner (1962) and Weiner and Smith (1965). In both studies only two specimens of Crotaphytus reticulatus (collariform group), and no specimens of silus (wislizenii group) were examined. In the present study, a series examined, particularly to reevaluate those characters which previous workers consider as having the greatest phylogenetic significance. Seven of the 25 differentiae listed by Weiner and Smith (1965) are here considered invalid; four other are held in doubt. The remaining differentiae have not been studied, but ae believed to be linked genetically in groups (Weiner and Smith, 1965) which represent, at best, five complexes. As yet, no apparent palcotelic character has been found to separate the two groups of crotaphytiform lizards. The conclusion is reached that there is no present need to recognize Gambelia at the generic or subgeneric level.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Montanucci, Richard
- Units
- ORPI
- Keywords
- Lizards