How not to describe a species: lessons from a tangle of anacondas (Boidae: Eunectes Wagler, 1830)
Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl › adolygiad gan gymheiriaid
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Yn: Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, Cyfrol 201, Rhif 4, 19.08.2024.
Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl › adolygiad gan gymheiriaid
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T1 - How not to describe a species: lessons from a tangle of anacondas (Boidae: Eunectes Wagler, 1830)
AU - Wüster, Wolfgang
AU - Kaiser, Hinrich
AU - Hoogmoed, Marinus S.
AU - Ceríaco, Luis M.P.
AU - Dirksen, Lutz
AU - Dufresnes, Christophe
AU - Glaw, Frank
AU - Hille, Axel
AU - Köhler, Jörn
AU - Koppetsch, Thore
AU - Milto, Konstantin D.
AU - Shea, Glenn M.
AU - Tarkhnishvili, D.N.
AU - Thomson, Scott A.
AU - Vences, Miguel
AU - Böhme, Wolfgang
PY - 2024/8/19
Y1 - 2024/8/19
N2 - A recent revision of the anacondas (Serpentes: Boidae: Eunectes), with the description of a new species of green anaconda, generated extensive publicity, but also provoked considerable controversy due to inadequacies of the evidence used and errors in nomenclature. We here use the case of this problematic publication to: (i) highlight common issues affecting species delimitations, especially an over-reliance on mitochondrial DNA data, and reiterate best practices; (ii) reanalyse the data available for anacondas to establish the true current state of knowledge and to highlight lines of further research; and (iii) analyse the nomenclatural history and status of the genus. While our analysis reveals significant morphological variation in both green and yellow anacondas, denser sampling and an analysis of informative nuclear markers are required for meaningful species delimitation in Eunectes. Tracing the history of name-bearing types establishes Trinidad as the type locality for Boa murina Linnaeus, 1758 and allows identification of the extant lectotype for the species. Finally, we emphasize the responsibility of both journals and authors to ensure that published taxonomic work meets the burden of evidence required to substantiate new species descriptions and that species are named in compliance with the rules of zoological nomenclature.
AB - A recent revision of the anacondas (Serpentes: Boidae: Eunectes), with the description of a new species of green anaconda, generated extensive publicity, but also provoked considerable controversy due to inadequacies of the evidence used and errors in nomenclature. We here use the case of this problematic publication to: (i) highlight common issues affecting species delimitations, especially an over-reliance on mitochondrial DNA data, and reiterate best practices; (ii) reanalyse the data available for anacondas to establish the true current state of knowledge and to highlight lines of further research; and (iii) analyse the nomenclatural history and status of the genus. While our analysis reveals significant morphological variation in both green and yellow anacondas, denser sampling and an analysis of informative nuclear markers are required for meaningful species delimitation in Eunectes. Tracing the history of name-bearing types establishes Trinidad as the type locality for Boa murina Linnaeus, 1758 and allows identification of the extant lectotype for the species. Finally, we emphasize the responsibility of both journals and authors to ensure that published taxonomic work meets the burden of evidence required to substantiate new species descriptions and that species are named in compliance with the rules of zoological nomenclature.
KW - Eunectes
KW - Species delimitation
KW - new species
KW - mitochondrial DNA
KW - lectotype
KW - type locality
KW - nomenclature
KW - International Code of Zoological Nomenclature
U2 - 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae099
DO - 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae099
M3 - Article
VL - 201
JO - Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
JF - Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
SN - 0024-4082
IS - 4
ER -