Eumeces

The genus Eumeces (family Scincidae) comprises four African to Middle-Eastern skink species.

Eumeces
Eumeces schneiderii
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Scincidae
Subfamily: Scincinae
Genus: Eumeces
Wiegmann, 1834
Synonyms

Novoeumeces Griffith et al., 2000

Systematics

Recently two taxonomic revisions have been made regarding the 19th century genus Eumeces. They both resulted in similar results; the genus is paraphyletic and must be "sliced up" into several different genera. Griffith et al. (2000) proposed that the type species for Eumeces, E. pavimentatus, which is considered by many to be a subspecies of Eumeces schneiderii, should be changed to Lacerta fasciata, so that the genus name Eumeces would stay with the most species-rich clade. However, this petition has not been verified by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. Schimtz et al. argued that Griffith et al. violated the Code and rejected the proposal on good grounds. Thus only the African species of the Eumeces schneiderii group belong to the genus Eumeces.

Within Eumeces the following species are recognized:

Some species that were formerly considered Eumeces have now been assigned to new genera:

Now in Plestiodon:

Now in Eurylepis:

  • Eumeces indothalensis - now Eurylepis indothalensis
  • Eumeces poonaensis - now Eurylepis poonaensis
  • Eumeces taeniolatus - now Eurylepis taeniolatus

Now in Mesoscincus:

  • Eumeces altamirani - now Mesoscincus altamirani
  • Eumeces managuae - now Mesoscincus managuae
  • Eumeces schwartzei - now Mesoscincus schwartzei
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References
  • Austin, J.J. & Arnold, E.N. (2006): Using ancient and recent DNA to explore relationships of extinct and endangered Leiolopisma skinks (Reptilia: Scincidae) in the Mascarene islands. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 39 (2): 503–511. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2005.12.011 (HTML abstract)
  • Griffith, H., A. Ngo & R.W. Murphy. 2000. A cladistic evaluation of the cosmopolitan genus Eumeces Wiegmann (Reptilia, Squamata, Scincidae). Russ. J. Herpetol. 7 (1): 1-16. ("Novoeumeces gen nov.", p. 11).
  • Schmitz, Andreas; Patrick Mausfeld and Dirk Embert. 2004. Molecular studies on the genus Eumeces Wiegmann, 1834: phylogenetic relationships and taxonomic implications. Hamadryad 28 (1-2): 73–89.
  • Smith, Hobart M. 2005. Plestiodon: a Replacement Name for Most Members of the Genus Eumeces in North America. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (14): 15-16.
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