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Type: Article
Published: 2022-04-05
Page range: 401-430
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Systematic revision of Afrogecko ansorgii (Boulenger, 1907) (Sauria: Gekkonidae) from western Angola

CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal. 2Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal. 3BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal.
Port Elizabeth Museum (Bayworld), Beach Road, Humewood, Port Elizabeth, 6013, South Africa. Department of Nature Conservation Management, Natural Resource Science and Management Cluster, Faculty of Science, George Campus, Nelson Mandela University, George, South Africa.
CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal. BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal. Fundação Kissama, Rua Joquim Kapango, 49 1º Luanda, Angola.
Zoology and Entomology Molecular Lab (ZEML), Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Makhanda, 6140, South Africa.
Zoology and Entomology Molecular Lab (ZEML), Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Makhanda, 6140, South Africa.
Physics Department, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa. CT Scanner Facility, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa.
Port Elizabeth Museum (Bayworld), Beach Road, Humewood, Port Elizabeth, 6013, South Africa.
Reptilia Leaf-toed gecko taxonomy CT-scan skull osteology phylogeny

Abstract

Here we provide the first phylogenetic analysis that include Afrogecko ansorgii and a detailed morphological comparison with other species of leaf-toed geckos. For this purpose, we used two mitochondrial (16S, ND2) and four nuclear (RAG1, RAG2, CMOS, PDC) genes to produce a robust phylogenetic reconstruction. This allowed us to show that A. ansorgii is not related as previously believed to circum-Indian Ocean leaf-toed geckos and is rather more closely related to other Malagasy leaf-toed geckos. Additionally, we explore and compare osteological variation in A. ansorgii skulls through High Resolution X-ray Computed Tomography with previously published material. This allowed us to describe herein a new genus, Bauerius gen. nov., and additionally provide a detailed redescription of the species (including the first description of male material), supplementing the limited original description and type series, which consisted of only two females.

 

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