Integrated evidence sheds light on the taxonomy of the widespread Tantilla melanocephala species complex (Serpentes: Colubridae) and indicates the existence of a new species from southern South America

Autor(es)

Azevedo, Weverton dos Santos ; Franco, Francisco Luis ; Menezes, Lucas ; Kunz, Tobias Saraiva ; Grazziotin, Felipe Gobbi

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: ORGANISMS DIVERSITY & EVOLUTION; v. 24, n. 1, p. 29-pg., 2024-01-24.

Resumo

The widespread Tantilla melanocephala is a South American snake, which has a convoluted taxonomic history and a poorly addressed systematics. The taxonomic identity and the phylogenetic affinities of their populations are unclear, suggesting the existence of a complex of undescribed species. Here, we preliminarily address the morphological diversity and genetic structure of the T. melanocephala complex through comparative morphological approaches and phylogenetic analyses using maximum likelihood. Our results confirm the presence of hidden diversity within the T. melanocephala complex and strongly indicate that the populations of T. melanocephala from southern South America represent a distinct lineage, which is morphologically diagnosable under a unique combination of character states. Therefore, we formally describe these populations as a new species and present a comparison among all other South American species of Tantilla. We also estimate the divergence times of the main clades within the complex through Bayesian analysis, suggesting a biogeographical scenario of lineage diversification. Finally, our study clarifies aspects of the intricate taxonomy of the T. melanocephala complex, providing a framework for future studies to avoid the description of synonyms. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 22/12660-4 - Recuperação, modernização e expansão da coleção herpetológica do Instituto Butantan através de estudos integrativos sobre sistemática e evolução de serpentes neotropicais
• Beneficiário: Felipe Gobbi Grazziotin
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Programa BIOTA - Jovens Pesquisadores
• Processo FAPESP: 22/07935-4 - Escalas da Biodiversidade: estudos integrados de evolução e função de venenos ofídicos nos múltiplos níveis da diversidade.
• Beneficiário: Weverton dos Santos Azevedo
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Programa Capacitação - Treinamento Técnico
• Processo FAPESP: 16/50127-5 - Dimensions US-BIOTA São Paulo: scales of biodiversity: integrated studies of snake venom evolution and function across multiple levels of diversity
• Beneficiário: Inácio de Loiola Meirelles Junqueira de Azevedo
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Programa BIOTA - Temático