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Issue: Vol. 5717 No. 3: 6 Nov. 2025
Type: Article
Published: 2025-11-06
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5717.3.2
Page range: 318-328
Abstract views: 119
PDF downloaded: 39

Phylogeography and genetic diversity of the Serrated Hinge-back Tortoise Kinixys erosa (Schweigger): implications for taxonomy and conservation

Institute of Environmental Planning, Leibniz University Hannover, 30419 Hannover, Germany (present address). Museum of Zoology Senckenberg Dresden, A. B. Meyer Building, 01109 Dresden, Germany.
Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic. National Museum of the Czech Republic, Department of Zoology, Prague, Czech Republic.
Independent researcher, 13158 Berlin, Germany.
Museum of Zoology Senckenberg Dresden, A. B. Meyer Building, 01109 Dresden, Germany.
Laboratory of Herpetology, Zoology Section, Department of Biology, Centre of Research in Natural Sciences at Lwiro, South Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Museum of Zoology Senckenberg Dresden, A. B. Meyer Building, 01109 Dresden, Germany. Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Talstraße 33, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
Africa biogeography genetics nuclear DNA phylogeography taxonomy Reptilia

Abstract

The Serrated Hinge-back Tortoise Kinixys erosa inhabits moist forests across Central and West Africa and is known to show phylogeographic structure. Based on extended geographic sampling, we re-examined its phylogeography using three mitochondrial genes and up to 17 nuclear loci. The observed mtDNA variation was considerable and corresponds to two major and well-supported clades from the western and the eastern part of the distribution range. Within the western clade, samples from Ghana represent a well-supported subclade. Nuclear loci support the genetic distinctness of these groups showing the Ghanian population as the most divergent. This suggests that K. erosa comprises hitherto unrecognized distinct taxa. Since no sufficient morphological data are available, and it is unclear to which clade the name K. erosa (Schweigger) refers, we abstain from taxonomic conclusions, but identify the genetic clusters as distinct Management Units for conservation.

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How to Cite

Ihlow, F., Gvoždík, V., Nagy, Z.T., Kehlmaier, C., Chifundera, Z.K. & Fritz, U. (2025) Phylogeography and genetic diversity of the Serrated Hinge-back Tortoise Kinixys erosa (Schweigger): implications for taxonomy and conservation. Zootaxa, 5717 (3), 318–328. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5717.3.2