Magdalenasaura leurosquama FANG, VÁSQUEZ-RESTREPO & DAZA, 2020
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Magdalenasaura leurosquama
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| Higher Taxa | Gymnophthalmidae (Cercosaurinae), Sauria, Gymnophthalmoidea, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Magdalenasaura leurosquama FANG, VÁSQUEZ-RESTREPO & DAZA 2020 |
| Distribution | Colombia (Antioquia) Type locality: Colombia, department of Antioquia, municipality of Alejandrıa, vereda El Cerro, El Eden forest (6.36701 N, 75.02718 W, 1348 m elevation) |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype. MHUA-R 13153, an adult male, collected on 20 August 2016 by Carlos M. Marın (Figs 10–11). Paratypes. MHUA-R 12943 adult female, Colombia, department of Antioquia, municipality of Alejandrıa, vereda El Cerro, El Eden forest (6.36725 N, 75.02723 W, 1309 m asl), collected on 26 August 2015 by Claudia M. Molina. MHUA-R 13151 adult male, MHUA-R 13152 juvenile male, MHUA-R 13154 adult female, MHUA-R 13155 juvenile female, and MHUA-R 13156 adult female, collected along with the holotype. MHUA-R 13215 adult female, Colombia, department of Antioquia, municipality of Alejandrıa, vereda El Cerro, El Eden forest 75.02728 W, 1304 m asl), collected on 2017 by Carlos M. Marın. See Fig. 12. (6.3672 N, 7 February. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis (genus): Phenotypic synapomorphies are not known for this genus. Magdalenasaura gen. nov. can be distinguished from all other Cercosaurinae genera by the combination of the following character states: (1) head scales smooth and juxtaposed; (2) prefrontal, frontoparietal, and parietal scales paired; (3) frontonasal, frontal, and interparietal scales single; (4) large, paired, and symmetrical occipitals, in medial contact; (5) lower palpebral disc semitransparent and divided in several scales; (6) single nasal scale; (7) loreal scale present, in contact with supralabials; (8) tympanum slightly recessed; (9) three pairs of large chin shields, first and second pair in contact on midline; (10) enlarged posterior gular scales; (11) collar fold well developed; (12) dorsal scales smooth or keeled, not tuberculate, with heterogeneous size and shape, subimbricate, in transverse rows only, without forming longitudinal dorsal crests; (13) lateral fold absent; (14) lateral scales smaller than dorsal and ventral scales, irregularly shaped, juxtaposed; (15) ventral scales smooth, quadrangular, subimbricate, in transverse and longitudinal rows; (16) limbs pentadactyl, digits clawed; (17) tail slightly compressed laterally; (18) femoral pores present in both sexes (more in males); (19) lateral ocelli present in both sexes. Comparisons with related genera. Magdalenasaura gen. nov. can be readily distinguished from other genera of Cercosaurinae by the combination of the following characters (other genera in parentheses): dorsal scales heterogeneous in size and shape (homogeneous in Anadia, Andinosaura, Cercosaura, Dendrosauridion, Euspondylus, Macropholidus, Oreosaurus, Petracola, Pholidobolus, Placosoma, Proctoporus, Riama, and Selvasaura); dorsal scales smooth or weakly keeled, not tuberculate (strongly keeled and/or tuberculate, usually forming several longitudinal dorsal crests in Centrosaura, Echinosaura, Gelanesaurus, Neusticurus, Potamites, and Rheosaurus); prefrontal scales present (usually absent in Andinosaura, Echinosaura, Oreosaurus, Petracola, and Riama); large, paired and symmetrical occipitals in medial contact (usually the largest scales on the occipital region separated medially by smaller scales or slightly in contact in Gelanesaurus, and several small irregular or non-symmetrical scales in Potamites; see Fig. 2); and lower parpebral disc semitransparent and divided (not divided in Dendrosauridion, Macropholidus, Selvasaura, and Proctoporus). External characters of Magdalenasaura gen. nov. along with other gymnophthalmid lizards present in the northern Cordillera Central are shown in Fig. 3 in Fang et al. 2020. Diagnosis (species). Magdalenasaura leurosquama sp. nov. is assigned to the genus Magdalenasaura based on morphological characters and the molecular phylogenetic results. Phenotypic autapomorphies are not known for this species. Magdalenasaura leurosquama sp. nov. can be diagnosed by the combination of the following characters: (1) 3–4 (usually 4) supraoculars; (2) loreal scale in contact with the second or the first and second supralabials; (3) 4–5 postoculars; (4) 3–4 (usually 4) suboculars; (5) 5–6 (usually 5) superciliaries; (6) lower palpebral disc semitransparent and divided in 4–6 enlarged scales; (7) 8–9 (usually 8) supralabials; (8) 6–8 infralabials; (9) 8–11 enlarged gulars; (10) 5–6 (usually 6) enlarged collar scales; (11) dorsal scales smooth; (12) 41–46 transverse rows of dorsal scales; (13) 10–12 (usually 10) longitudinal rows of ventral scales; (14) 19–21 transverse rows of ventral scales; (15) 4–9 lateral scales; (16) 19–28 scales around midbody; (17) 14–15 (usually 15) subdigital lamellae under finger IV, and 20–23 under toe IV; (18) 17–18 femoral pores per side in males, 4–6 in females; (19) 1–2 scales in the anterior row of preanals, 5 in the posterior row; (20) dorsal surface of head, body, tail and limbs are light olive-brown or dark brown, lateral surfaces of the body light brown with ocelli present, ventral body colouration beige with brown and ventral head colouration beige with brown blotches; (21) with several light yellow or cream subocular stripes, the posterior oblique and crossing labials scales from posterior corner of the eyes to pregular scales. |
| Comment | Type species: Magdalenasaura leurosquama is the type species of the genus Magdalenasaura FANG, VÁZQUEZ-RESTREPO & DAZA 2020. See Fang et al. 2020 for a comparison of Magdalenasaura, Gelanesaurus, and Potamites. Distribution: See map in Fang et al. 2020: 12 (Fig. 9). |
| Etymology | Magdalenasaura (gender feminine) derives from the Spanish word Magdalena and the Greek word saura (lizard), in allusion to the Magdalena river basin where the two species have been found. The epithet leurosquama derives from the Greek word leuros (smooth), and the Latin word squama (scale), in allusion to the smooth dorsal scales of this species. |
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