Acritoscincus duperreyi (GRAY, 1839)
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Acritoscincus duperreyi
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| Higher Taxa | Scincidae, Eugongylinae (Eugongylini), Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Bold-striped Cool-skink, Three-lined Skink |
| Synonym | Tiliqua duperreyi GRAY 1839: 292 Lygosoma duperreyii — DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1839: 715 (part.) Eulepis duperreyi — FITZINGER 1843 (fide SMITH 1937: 223) Leiolopisma duperreyi — GREER 1982 Leiolopisma trilineatum — GREER 1982 Leiolopisma trilineatum — COGGER 1983 Acritoscincus duperreyi — WELLS & WELLINGTON 1984 Acritoscincus duperreyi — WELLS & WELLINGTON 1985: 23 Acritoscincus buddeni WELLS & WELLINGTON 1985: 22 Bassiana duperreyi — HUTCHINSON et al. 1990 Pseudemoia duperreyi — FRANK & RAMUS 1995 Leiolopisma eulepis — FRANK & RAMUS 1995: 188 (nom. nud.) Bassiana duperreyi — COGGER 2000: 561 Bassiana duperreyi — FLATT et al. 2001 Bassiana duperreyi — DUBEY & SHINE 2010 Acritoscincus duperreyi — WILSON & SWAN 2010: 144 Acritoscincus duperreyi — COGGER 2014: 412 Bassiana duperreyi — DISSANAYAKE et al. 2021 Bassiana duperreyi — DISSANAYAKE et al. 2022 |
| Distribution | Australia (New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria) Type locality: Van Diemen's Land (= Tasmania); original description cites Kangaroo Is., S. A. |
| Reproduction | oviparous. Bassiana duperreyi has been studied because of its extraembryonic membrane development which seems to be significant for the evolution of placentation. There seems to be both temperature-dependent (TSD) and genetic sex determination (GSD) in this species (SHINE et al. 2002). Radder et al. (2009) show that sex in this species also depends on egg size. In fact, if (and only if) eggs are incubated at low temperatures, removing yolk from a newly laid egg turns the offspring into a male. Adding yolk from a larger (but not smaller) egg turns the recipient egg's offspring into a female. Remarkably, then, offspring sex in this species is the end result of an interaction between three mechanisms: sex chromosomes, nest temperatures, and yolk allocation. Dissanayake et al. (2021) show that nests have become deeper over 20 years, possibly in relation to climate change. Increasing elevation and decreasing nest temperature increases sex reversal in genotypical XX females to males. |
| Types | Lectotype: MNHN-RA 7102 (total length 131.5 mm), from Tasmania designated by Rawlinson (cited as “in prep.” by COGGER 1983). |
| Diagnosis | Orginal description: “[Scales smooth] Scales with 5 white lines like those of Gymnophthalmus” (Gray 1839) Original description (buddeni): “Frontonasal large and in contact with rostral; nasals widely separated; prefrontals nar- rowly separated; frontal in contact with first two supra-oculars; frontoparietal undivided; small interparietal; parietals contact 2nd, 3rd and 4th supraoculars; one pair of nuchals; ear opening small about half the size of eye spectacle; supraoculars 4-4, second largest; 5 supraciliaries; 7 supralabials; 6 infralabials; mid body scale rows 26. Measurements of Holotype (mm): Snout vent length 31.7; vent tail length 39.8; axilla to groin length 19.0; snout to axilla length 10.2. Colouration of Holotype (in alcohol): Dorsally greenish brown; commencing at the nuchals is a thin black dorsal stripe which extends almost to the level of the hindlimbs; a white dorsolateral stripe on either side commences just behind a level with the ear and extends to the base of the tail; laterally a white supralabial stripe extends over the auricular and becomes a white mid lateral stripe extending to the groin; a black stripe commencing on the snout runs through the eye and becomes a broad upper lateral stripe, bound on either side by the dorsolateral and midlateral white stripes; ventrolaterally creamish on sides of head to a level with the ear, becoming greyish-green on the body; ventrally off white beneath the head, remainder grey.” (Wells and Wellington 1985: 22) |
| Comment | Phylogenetics. Dissanayake et al. 2021, 2022 found five well-supported diagnosable operational taxonomic units (OTUs) within B. duperreyi. The genetic distances between the mitochondrial lineages of B. duperreyi varied from 2.3% (Tasmania cf southern Victoria) to 5.3% (western South Australia cf Tasmania). Synonymy: partly after SHEA & SADLIER 1999. Type species: Tiliqua duperreyi is the type species of the genus Acritoscincus Wells & Wellington 1985: 22. Acritoscincus is a nomen novum pro Eulepis Fitzinger 1843 which is pre-occupied by Eulepis Dalmann, MS. in Billberg, 1820 (Lepidoptera). This species is also the type species of the genus Bassiana HUTCHINSON et al. 1990. Probably listed in error by FRANK & RAMUS 1995. |
| Etymology | Named after Captain Louis-Isadore Duperrey (1786-1865), a French naval officer. |
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