Systematic revision of Acanthodactylus busacki (Squamata: Lacertidae) with a description of a new species from Morocco

Karin Tamar*, Philippe Geniez, José C. Brito, Pierre André Crochet

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

Recent molecular phylogenies of the Acanthodactylus pardalis species-group have revealed a deep genetic divergence within the nominal species A. busacki from north-west Africa. The species is phylogenetically separated into northern and southern lineages, which correspond to a previously observed morphological differentiation between the northern and southern populations of this species. Based on morphological comparisons of the type material and location of the type locality, the nomen Acanthodactylus busacki Salvador, 1982 is assigned here to the southern lineage, known from the northern Saharan Atlantic coastal desert. The northern lineage, described here as Acanthodactylus margaritae sp. Nov., is prominently characterized by weakly keeled dorsal scales and a characteristic colour pattern. The new species is endem-ic to Morocco and confined to arid and semi-arid bioclimatic areas between the High Atlas and Anti-Atlas Mountains, from around Tamri in the north to Tiznit in the south and the Souss valley in the east.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)357-386
Number of pages30
JournalZootaxa
Volume4276
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 13 Jun 2017

Funding

FundersFunder number
Annemarie Ohler
ECO-MED
Israel National Centre for Biodiversity Studies, Tel Aviv University
Jens Vindum
Museo Civico di Storia Naturale
Steinhardt Museum of Natural History
Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig
Florida Museum of Natural History
California Academy of Sciences
Fundação para a Ciência e a TecnologiaIF/459/2013
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

    Keywords

    • Atlas Mountains
    • Evolution
    • Lizards
    • Pardalis species-group
    • Phylogeny
    • Taxonomy

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