Ignacio Minoli

Lagartijas de la provincia de Santa Cruz (Argentina): distribución geográfica, diversidad genética y estado de conservación

En este trabajo se presenta una actualizacion de las caracteristicas geograficas, geneticas y de conservacion de la herpetofauna de la provincia de Santa Cruz. Utilizando ~ 1500 registros de presencia, se realiza un inventario biologico actualizado y se incluyen mapas de distribucion, fotos a color, comentarios geneticos y estatus de conservacion para las lagartijas de Santa Cruz. El numero de especies de lagartijas distribuidas en esta provincia es de 29, sin embargo tres de estas no presentan registros actuales. En base a los patrones geneticos se identifican al menos diez especies candidatas, linajes no descriptos con suficiente diferenciacion genetica como para representar especies nuevas y que necesitan otras fuentes de evidencia para avalar su estatus especifico. En este trabajo se combina la informacion tradicionalmente presentada en inventarios biologicos con datos geneticos, de distribucion y estatus de conservacion; mas alla de la novedosa integracion realizada, este trabajo tiene la potencialidad de guiar el desarrollo de estudios detallados, en los que se puedan identificar (entre otras) zonas tanto para conservacion como para explotacion sustentable, asi como tambien puede acelerar la descripcion de nuevos taxa llenando los vacios en el conocimiento de la taxonomia alfa.

A new species of Homonota (Reptilia: Squamata: Gekkota: Phyllodactylidae) from the Ventania mountain range, Southeastern Pampas, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina

A new species of lizard genus Homonota from southern Buenos Aires Province, Argentina is described. Homonota williamsii sp. nov. was previously considered as part of the H. darwinii species, but differs by a combination of characters from the nominal species and from other species of the genus. Its geographic distribution is restricted to an isolated mountain system not connected with other habitats suitable for Homonota darwinii

A new lizard species of the Phymaturus patagonicus group (Squamata: Liolaemini) from northern Patagonia, Neuquén, Argentina

The integrative taxonomy framework allows developing robust hypotheses of species limits based on the integration of results from different data sets and analytical methods. In this work, we test a candidate species hypothesis previously suggested based on molecular data, with geometric and traditional morphometrics analyses (multivariate and univariate). This new lizard species is part of the Phymaturus patagonicus group (payuniae clade) that is distributed in Neuquén and Mendoza provinces (Argentina). Our results showed that Phymaturus rahuensis sp. nov. differs from the other species of the payuniae clade by a higher number of midbody scales, and fewer supralabials scales, finger lamellae and toe lamellae. Also, its multidimensional spaces, both based on continuous lineal variables and geometric morphometrics (shape) characters, do not overlap with those of the other species in this clade. The results of the morphometric and geometric morphometric analyses presented here, coupled with previously published molecular data, represent three independent lines of evidence that support the diagnosis of this new taxon.

Estudio comparativo del melanismo en lagartijas del grupo Liolaemus fitzingerii (Liolaemini: Liolaemus)

Color patterns and melanism have been focus of evolutionary studies in a wide variety of taxa, including lizards, and are often associated with certain ecological attributes. However, within the genus Liolaemus, only some particular aspects of melanism have been studied in a few species of the L. fitzingerii group. Populations of these species show different degrees of melanism with respect to both the intensity and location of black pigment, that in some cases have been used as diagnostic characters in different species of this group. The aim of this study was to assess the degree of polymorphism in ventral body and dorsal head melanism in Patagonian lizards from the five haploclades of the L. fitzingerii group (which includes all described species, except L. dumerili and L. camarones), to determine patterns of geographic variation and evaluate their usefulness as diagnostic characters. Our results show a high degree of polymorphism in both, ventral body and dorsal head melanism in the five haploclades, and in the different geographic regions analyzed. In this group, the melanic characters should be used with caution and in combination with others for diagnostic characters for species delimitation and diagnosis.

New records and geographic distribution map of Bothropoides diporus Cope, 1862 (Reptilia: Viperidae)

We provide two new records of Bothropoides diporus for Neuquen province, northern Patagonia, Argentina. Both records are the second and third for this species in this province. One of these records, from the northern slope of Auca Mahuida Mountain, extends approximately 120 km to the north the present known geographic distribution of this species in Neuquen province.

Reptiles of Chubut province, Argentina: richness, diversity, conservation status and geographic distribution maps.

Abstract An accurate estimation of species and population geographic ranges is essential for species-focused studies and conservation and management plans. Knowledge of the geographic distributions of reptiles from Patagonian Argentina is in general limited and dispersed over manuscripts from a wide variety of topics. We completed an extensive review of reptile species of central Patagonia (Argentina) based on information from a wide variety of sources. We compiled and checked geographic distribution records from published literature and museum records, including extensive new data from the LJAMM-CNP (CENPAT-CONICET) herpetological collection. Our results show that there are 52 taxa recorded for this region and the highest species richness was seen in the families Liolaemidae and Dipsadidae with 31 and 10 species, respectively. The Patagónica was the phytogeographic province most diverse in species and Phymaturus was the genus of conservation concern most strongly associated with it. We present a detailed species list with geographical information, richness species, diversity analyses with comparisons across phytogeographical provinces, conservation status, taxonomic comments and distribution maps for all of these taxa.

Squamata, Iguania, Leiosauridae, Pristidactylus nigroiugulus Cei, Scolaro and Videla, 2001: new records for Chubut province and geographic distribution

We present new records of Pristidactylus nigroiugulus (Cei, Scolaro and Videla, 2001) for Chubut province. A geographic distribution map presents all known records in Chubut province, central Patagonia, Argentina.

New species of Liolaemus (Reptilia, Squamata, Liolaemini) of the Liolaemus donosobarrosi clade from northwestern Patagonia, Neuquén province, Argentina

Two new species of the Liolaemus donosobarrosi clade are described. Liolaemus tirantii sp. nov. and Liolaemus calliston sp. nov. differ from other members of their clade by a combination of coloration characters, morphometric and molecular traits. Liolaemus tirantii sp. nov. is known from three localities separated only a few kilometers from each other and Liolaemus calliston sp. nov. is known only from the type locality. Both species inhabit a region strongly impacted by oil and gas extraction but their conservation status is unknown.

Conservation assessments in climate change scenarios: spatial perspectives for present and future in two Pristidactylus (Squamata: Leiosauridae) lizards from Argentina

The consequences of global climate change can already be seen in many physical and biological systems and these effects could change the distribution of suitable areas for a wide variety of organisms to the middle of this century. We analyzed the current habitat use and we projected the suitable area of present conditions into the geographical space of future scenarios (2050), to assess and quantify whether future climate change would affect the distribution and size of suitable environments in two Pristidactylus lizard species. Comparing the habitat use and future forecasts of the two studied species, P. achalensis showed a more restricted use of available resource units (RUs) and a moderate reduction of the potential future area. On the contrary, P. nigroiugulus uses more available RUs and has a considerable area decrease for both future scenarios. These results suggest that both species have a moderately different trend towards reducing available area of suitable habitats, the persistent localities for both 2050 CO2 concentration models, and in the available RUs used. We discussed the relation between size and use of the current habitat, changes in future projections along with the protected areas from present-future and the usefulness of these results in conservation plans. This work illustrates how ectothermic organisms might have to face major changes in their availability suitable areas as a consequence of the effect of future climate change.

New records of Pristidactylus nigroiugulus Cei, Scolaro & Videla, 2001 (Squamata: Leiosauridae) with a geographic distribution map

We provide new geographic records for Pristidactylus nigroiugulus Cei, Scolaro & Videla, 2001 from Argentina. We present the first record for Santa Cruz province and the southernmost records of the species based on lizards collected in the austral summers of 2012/2013 and 2013/2014. Based on a museum specimen, we extend the species distribution to the eastern part of the Somuncura Plateau. An updated distributional map is included.