Deiroptyx hendersoni (Cochran, 1923)

Nicholson, Kirsten E., Crother, Brian I., Guyer, Craig & Savage, Jay M., 2012, 3477, Zootaxa 3477, pp. 1-108 : 28-29

Deiroptyx hendersoni Species Group

Diagnosis. — Support for this group is provided by 44 apomorphies including five morphological and 39 molecular ones. There are no unequivocal morphological apomorphies but there are 17 unequivocal molecular ones (see Appendix II).

Definition. — Lizards of this species group are small to moderate-sized anoles (maximum snout-to-vent-length in adult males 45 to 73 mm and 39 to 44 mm in adult females) sharing the following combination of characters: 1) no rugose cephalic casque, dorsal surface of skull smooth or wrinkled without bony tubercles; 2) male dewlap present, base usually only extending to level of axilla, (large, extending onto venter in D. darlingtoni ); 3) splenial usually present, (absent in D. monticola ); 3) dorsal scales, small, round, smooth or keeled; 4) ventral scales usually smooth (keeled in Deiroptyx hendersoni ), equal to or much larger than dorsals; 5) Type I: 2N = 36 (24M, 12m) N.F. = 36; or type VI 2N = 36–48 (12–24M, 12–13m), N.F. = 39–41; no sexual heteromorphism.

Content. — This species group contains seven species and a total of twelve species and subspecies (see Appendix III).

Distribution. — Hispaniola and its satellite islands ( Fig. 13).

Remarks. — The placement of Deiroptyx darlingtoni is ambiguous in Poe (2004) and in our trees. Poe has it as sister to Xiphosurus chamaeleonides . Its placement in our combined tree is as sister to all of the dactyloids exclusive of occulta and bonairensis . Our molecular tree clearly supports this species as sister to all other members of the hendersoni group. We are further influenced by the morphological data, particularly the occurrence of a Tshaped interclavicle in D. darlingtoni , as all Xiphosurus have the arrow-shaped condition. Williams (1960) originally proposed that D. darlingtoni was related to D. monticola , a conclusion supported by the molecular tree.

Genus Xiphosurus Fitzinger, 1826

Xiphosurus Fitzinger, 1826 ; Neue Classificatuin der Reptilien: 17, 48. Type species: Anolis cuvieri Merrem, 1820: 45 by subsequent designation of Stejneger (1904:625). Proposed as a subgenus of Dactyloa .

Chamaeleolis Cocteau in de la Sagra, 1839 ; Historia fisica, politica y natural de la Isla de Cuba 4: 90. Type species: Chamaeleolis fernandina Cocteau, 1839: 90 (= Anolis chamaeleonides 1837 ; Cocteau in C. Duméril and Bibron,1837 (4): 169) by monotypy.

Pseudochamaeleon Fitzinger, 1843 ; Systema Reptilium: 16, 63. Type species: Anolis chamaeleonides C. Duméril and Bibron : 1837 (4):168 by original designation.

Semiurus Fitzinger, 1843 ; Systema Reptilium: 16, 64. Type species: Anolis cuvieri Merrem, 1820:45 by original designation. Proposed as a subgenus of Ctenonotus .

Diagnosis. — Support for this genus is based on 104 molecular apomorphies none of which is unequivocal (see Appendix II).

Definition. —Members of the genus Xiphosurus are defined as dactyloid lizards having: 1) the alpha condition of the caudal vertebrae ( Etheridge, 1967, Fig. 2C) in which the caudal vertebrae anterior to the first autotomic vertebra are aseptate and have transverse processes and the posterior caudal vertebrae lack transverse processes but usually have autotomy septa (four species with aseptate ones); 2) interclavicle arrow shaped ( Guyer and Savage, 1986, Fig. 2A); 3) postfrontal bone present; 4) pineal foramen in parietal or frontal-parietal suture; 5) supratemporal processes of parietal usually extend over the supraocciptal but sometimes leave supraoccipital exposed above; 6) pterygoid teeth present or absent; 7) angular process of articular large; 8) posterior suture of dentary pronged; 9) large splenial present, reduced to a sliver or absent; 10) lower jaw sculpturing usually absent (sculpturing of the “ Chamaeleolis ” type present in X. chamaeleonides and X. cuvieri ); 11) modal number of lumbar vertebrae 3 or 4; 12) modal number of caudal vertebrae anterior to first autotomic vertebra 6 to 8; 13) supraoccipital cresting continuous across supraoccipital with or without lateral processes; 14) Type I karyotype: 2N = 36 (12M, 24m); no sexual heteromorphism; N.F. = 48.

Content. —This genus is composed of two species groups, eleven species and a total of 26 species and subspecies (see Appendix III).

Distribution. — Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, their satellite islands, and the Puerto Rico Bank ( Fig. 15).

Introduction. — Xiphosurus baleatus to Suriname.

Etymology. —This generic name is derived from the Greek xiphos = sword and oura = tail, apparently with reference to the high fin-like caudal crest. It was Latinized by Fitzinger (1826) explicitly as a masculine noun.

Remarks. — Fitzinger (1843) designated Anolis chlorocyanus Duméril and Bibron, 1837 as the type species of the genus Xiphosurus . This designation is invalid as A. chlorocyanus was not among the species originally included in the genus. Stejneger (1904) subsequently designated Anolis cuvieri Merrem, 1820 as the type species of Xiphosurus . Xiphorsurus can be identified as a monophyletic lineage in every published analysis since Guyer and Savage (1986), including Alfoldi et al.’s (2011) analysis of the genome of Anolis carolinensis that includes a molecular phylogeny for 96 anole taxa based upon 46 loci and 20,000 bp of sequence data.