Dactyloa heteroderma

Nicholson, Kirsten E., Crother, Brian I., Guyer, Craig & Savage, Jay M., 2012, 3477, Zootaxa 3477, pp. 1-108 : 22-23

Dactyloa heteroderma Species Group

Diagnosis. — Support for this group is provided by 106 apomorphies including 17 morphological and 89 molecular ones. Eight morphological features are unequivocal: height of ear opening decreased (6: v to g); base of tail laterally compressed (15: a to z); modal number of supraciliary scales zero (38: 1 to 0); modal nasal scale type: circumnasal separated from rostral by one scale, not in contact with supralabial (39: 0 to 2); dorsal, ventral, supradigital, and head scales smooth (40: 2 to 1); supraorbital with single narrow central crest (55: 0 to 2); epipterygoid not contacting parietal (70: a to z); and angular process of articular reduced or absent (82: a to z). There are no unequivocal molecular apomorphies (see Appendix II).

Definition. — Lizards of this species group are small (43 mm in snout-to-vent length in adult males), moderate sized (53 to 86 mm in adult males and 55 to 69 mm in adult females) or large dactyloids (maximum snout-to-vent length in adult males 104 to 118 mm and 55 to 118 mm in adult females). Members of the group share the following combination of characters: 1) inscriptional rib formula 4:0, 4:3 or 5:1; 2) caudal autotomy septa present; 3) large splenial; 4) single rows of scales on the dewlap; 5) middorsal caudal scale row single.

Content. — Twelve species are referred to this species group (see Appendix III).

Distribution. — Andes of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, western Venezuela and Chimantá, Neblina, and Yavi Tepuis of Venezuela ( Fig. 10).

Remarks. — This monophyletic group includes those species frequently described as or referred to the nominal genus Phenacosaurus . Dactyloa proboscis ( Peters and Orces, 1956) clusters with other members of the heteroderma group in both Poe (2004) and our combined trees and so is included in this clade. In the Anolis (sensu lato maximo) of Jackman et al. (1999) and Poe (2004), Phenacosaurus is considered a junior synonym of the former. If this course is followed Phenacosaurus nicefori Dunn, 1944 becomes a junior secondary homonym of Anolis nicefori Barbour, 1912 , a junior synonym of Norops tropidogaster ( Hallowell, 1856) . As such it requires a new name (Art. 59 of the Code). We recognize Dactyloa and Norops as distinct genera, however, so no new specific epithet is proposed.