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Glaphyromorphus punctulatus (PETERS, 1871)

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Higher TaxaScincidae, Sphenomorphinae (Sphenomorphini), Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Fine-spotted Mulch-skink 
SynonymLygosoma (Lygosoma) punctulatum PETERS 1871: 646
Lygosoma heterodactylum GÜNTHER 1876
Sphenomorphus punctulatus — COGGER 1983
Glaphyromorphus punctulatus — COGGER 2000: 498
Glaphyromorphus punctulatus — WILSON & SWAN 2010
Glaphyromorphus punctulatus — COGGER 2014: 570 
DistributionAustralia (Queensland and offshore islands including Bailey, Dent, East Shelby, Hayman, Hinchinbrook, Lindeman, Magnetic, Shaw)

Type locality: “Port Bowen (N.O. Australien)” [= Port Clinton, Queensland]  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesHolotype: ZMB 7295 
DiagnosisDiagnosis (genus): “The genus Glaphyromorphus is a group of small pentadactyl-limbed skinks associated with damp conditions in coastal northern Australia. They are characterised by the following features; supraoculars 4; prefrontals separated; nasals separated; adpressed limbs either fail to meet or just contact; body scales smooth, highly polished in 25-32 rows at mid-body; supralabials 6 to 7; lamellae smooth to bluntly keeled; post-mental contacts, one to two infralabials on each size; SVL 50-90 mm; inhabits tropical savannah woodland and monsoon forest communities.” (WELLS & WELLINGTON 1984: 95)


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CommentSynonymy after COGGER 1983.

Type Species: Lygosoma (Lygosoma) punctulatum PETERS 1871 is the type species of the genus Glaphyromorphus WELLS & WELLINGTON 1983.

Phylogenetics: see Singhal et al. 2017 and 2018 for a phylogeny of Australian sphenomorphine skinks.

Synonymy: Kaiser et al. 2013 considered the generic name Rhiannodon Wells 2009 invalid and rejected its use instead of Glaphyromorphus.

Limb morphology: 5 digits, 5 toes (Limbs reduced). The phalanges in the manus and pes are 2.3.4.4.3 and 2.3.4.5.3, compared to the primitive count for skinks of 2.3.4.5.3 and 2.3.4.5 (Singhal et al. 2018, Cogger 2014)

Morphology: Hutchinson et al. 2021 present a table of morphological character states across 20 Australian sphenomorphine skinks, including this genus. 
EtymologyPresumably named after the Latin punctula (small spot), plus the suffix -atus (having), in reference to the numerous small dark spots in this species. (G. Shea, pers. comm., 9 Feb 2024)

The genus was named after “the polished appearance of the species in this group” (fide Wells & Wellington 1983), and Greek morpha (μορφά), bodily form, build. 
References
  • Bauer, A.M.; Günther,R. & Klipfel,M. 1995. The herpetological contributions of Wilhelm C.H. Peters (1815-1883). SSAR Facsimile Reprints in Herpetology, 714 pp.
  • Cogger, H. G. 2014. Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, 7th ed. CSIRO Publishing, xxx + 1033 pp. - get paper here
  • Cogger, H.G. 2000. Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, 6th ed. Ralph Curtis Publishing, Sanibel Island, 808 pp.
  • Couper, P., Covacevich, J., Amey, A. & Baker, A. 2006. The genera of skinks (Family Scincidae) of Australia and its island territories: diversity, distribution and identification. in: Merrick, J.R., Archer, M., Hickey, G.M. & Lee, M.S.Y. (eds.). Evolution and Zoogeography of Australasian Vertebrates. Australian Scientific Publishing, Sydney, pp. 367-384
  • Greer A E 1985. A new species of Sphenomorphus from northeastern Queensland. Journal of Herpetology 19 (4): 469-473 - get paper here
  • Hutchinson, M. N., Couper, P., Amey, A., & Wilmer, J. W. 2021. Diversity and Systematics of Limbless Skinks (Anomalopus) from Eastern Australia and the Skeletal Changes that Accompany the Substrate Swimming Body Form. Journal of Herpetology 55 (4): 361-384 - get paper here
  • Kaiser, H.; Crother, B.I.; Kelly, C.M.R.; Luiselli, L.; O’Shea, M.; Ota, H.; Passos, P.; Schleip, W.D. & Wüster, W. 2013. Best Practices: In the 21st Century, Taxonomic Decisions in Herpetology are Acceptable Only When Supported by a Body of Evidence and Published via Peer-Review. Herpetological Review 44 (1): 8-23
  • Peters, Wilhem Carl Hartwig. 1871. Über einige Arten der herpetologischen Sammlung des Berliner zoologischen Museums. Monatsber. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin 1871: 644-652 - get paper here
  • Singhal, Sonal; Huateng Huang, Maggie R. Grundler, María R. Marchán-Rivadeneira, Iris Holmes, Pascal O. Title, Stephen C. Donnellan, and Daniel L. Rabosky 2018. Does Population Structure Predict the Rate of Speciation? A Comparative Test across Australia’s Most Diverse Vertebrate Radiation. The American Naturalist - get paper here
  • Skinner, Adam; Mark N. Hutchinson, Michael S.Y. Lee 2013. Phylogeny and Divergence Times of Australian Sphenomorphus Group Skinks (Scincidae, Squamata). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 69 (3): 906–918 - get paper here
  • Wells, R.W. 2009. Some taxonomic and nomenclatural considerations on the class Reptilia in Australia. A review of the genera Eulamprus and Glaphyromorphus (Scincidae), including the description of new genera and species. Australian Biodiversity Record (3): 1–96.
  • Wilson, S. & Swan, G. 2010. A complete guide to reptiles of Australia, 3rd ed. Chatswood: New Holland, 558 pp.
 
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