Thursday, March 21, 2013

[Herpetology • 2010] Tylototriton notialis • A New Species in the Tylototriton asperrimus Group (Caudata: Salamandridae) from Central Laos


Tylototriton notialis
Stuart, Phimmachak, Sivongxay & Robichaud. 2010

Abstract
A new species in the morphologically conservative Tylototriton asperrimus group is described from Khammouan Province, Laos. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA confirms its placement in the T. asperrimus group. Tylototriton notialis sp. nov. is diagnosable in mitochondrial DNA, nuclear DNA, and morphology from its congeners. The new species represents the first record of the genus from Laos, and is the southernmost known member of the T. asperrimus group. 

Key words: Caudata, Laos, Southeast Asia, Tylototriton



Subgenus: The new species is assigned to the subgenus Yaotriton Dubois & Raffaëlli 2009 (= T. asperrimus species group of Fei et al. 2005) based on its phylogenetic position (Fig. 1) and mostly dark dorsal and ventral coloration (Dubois & Raffaëlli 2009).

Etymology: The specific epithet taken from notialis L. for southern, in reference to the new species having the southernmost known locality of any member in the T. asperrimus group. 






Stuart, B.L., Phimmachak, S., Sivongxay, N. & Robichaud, W.G., 2010. A New Species in the Tylototriton asperrimus Group (Caudata: Salamandridae) from Central Laos. Zootaxa, 2650: 19-32.