Norops auratus (Daudin, 1802)

Nicholson, Kirsten E., Crother, Brian I., Guyer, Craig & Savage, Jay M., 2012, 3477, Zootaxa 3477, pp. 1-108 : 45-49

Norops auratus Species Group

Diagnosis. — Support for this group is provided by 39 apomorphies including six morphological and thirty-three molecular ones. There are two unequivocal morphological apomorphies: base of tail laterally compressed (15: a to z); and supratemporal processes extend over supraoccipital (61: n to z). There are 11 unequivocal molecular apomorphies (see Appendix II).

Definition. — Species of this group are mostly moderate-sized anoles (maximum snout-to-vent lengths of 41 to 102 mm in adult males and 35 to 108 mm in adult females) sharing the following combination of features: 1) basipterygoid crest absent; 2) tail crest usually absent in large males; 2) tail base usually compressed in cross section; 3) modal postxiphisternal inscriptional rib formula 3:1; 4) parietal foramen in parietal; 5) supratemporal processes leave supraoccipital exposed; 6) prefrontal separated from the nasal by frontal and maxilla; 7) lower jaw sculpturing in large adult males usually absent, some with wrinkling; 8) Type IV or V karyotypes: 2N = 28, 29, 30, 32, 36, 38, 40, 42 with various combinations of biarmed and microchromosomes but lacking sexual heteromorphism, divisible into two subgroups: one with 2N = 28–32 and N.F. = 40–44, another with 2N = 36–42, N.F. = 38–40; xy heteromorphism reported in 12 species, 2N = 30, 32, 36, 38 (N.F. = 40–56); xxy heteromorphism is one species ( N. biporcatus ), 2N = 29/30 (12M, 17 or 18 m); N.F. = 41/42 .

Content. — This species group contains 150 species, one of which is known only as a fossil (see Appendix III).

Distribution. — Mexico, Central America, and many adjacent islands, including Cozumel, the Bay Islands, the Corn Islands, San Andres and Providencia Islands (Caribbean) and Cocos Island (Pacific); south to western Ecuador, northern South America ( Colombia and Venezuela), including Isla Gorgona (Pacific), the islands of Aruba, Curaçao, and Margarita (Caribbean), Trinidad and Tobago; then south through the Guyanas to southeastern and southern Brazil, and Paraguay, and throughout the Orinoco and Amazon Basins ( Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, and Bolivia) ( Fig. 27).

Remarks. — We have not attempted at this time to further dissect the relationships or propose additional species groups within the large mainland radiation referred to here as the Norops auratus species group. However, it is clear that there are two primary clades within this taxon. One, which may be called the southern clade, is basal and restricted to South America and extreme Lower Central America ( Table 1). The second is a Mesoamerican clade that is widespread from Mexico southward and has invaded South America after the re-connection of the two regions by the Isthmian Link in the Pliocene (see Fig. 28).

Southern Clade: annectens * auratus * bombiceps brasiliensis chrysolepis eewi lineatus * meridionalis * nitens * onca * scypheus tandai

MesoAmerican Clade:

albi antonii biporcatus *

bitectus *

fuscoauratus *

gibbiceps gracilipes granuliceps ibague lemniscatus lynchi lyra macrolepis maculiventris mariarum medemi *

nigrolineatus notopholis ortonii *

palmeri pentaprion *

poecilopus *

rivalis scapularis sulcifrons tolimensis trachyderma *

tropidogaster *

vicarius williamsi

FIGURE 28b. Continued from 28a.