Morunasaurus groi DUNN, 1933
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Higher Taxa | Hoplocercidae, Iguania, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
Subspecies | |
Common Names | E: Gro’s manticores, Dunn's Spinytail Iguana S: mantícoras de Gro |
Synonym | Morunasaurus groi DUNN 1933 Morunasaurus groi — PETERS & DONOSO-BARROS 1970: 204 Morunasaurus groi — CORREDOR & RENJIFO 1985 Morunasaurus groi — KÖHLER 2000: 82 Morunasaurus groi — TORRES-CARVAJAL et al. 2011 |
Distribution | Panama, NW Colombia (Antioquia), 700-805 m elevation. Type locality: Valle de San Antón, Panama [8°36'N, 80°7'W] |
Reproduction | oviparous |
Types | Holotype: MCZ 34875 |
Diagnosis | Diagnosis (genus): Morunasaurus can be distinguished from Hoplocercus by having a tail that is roughly circular (rather than depressed) in cross section and longer than the body (i.e., tail length > SVL). It differs from both Hop- locercus and Enyalioides in having projecting scales (spines) on thigh, shin, and pes (projecting scales also present in E. heterolepis, but not as spines); a dentary bone extending posteriorly above the anterior surangular foramen (Wiens & Etheridge 2003), and in lacking a parietal eye. Morunasaurus also differs from Enyalioides in that the posterior whorl of each caudal segment is composed of greatly enlarged, projecting, spinous scales at least two times as large as the scales of the immediately anterior whorl [from TORRES-CARVAJAL et al. 2011]. Morunasaurus appears to be a subclade of Enyalioides rather than a non-overlapping clade, though this relationship is not strongly supported (TORRES-CARVAJAL & DE QUEIROZ 2009). Diagnosis (species): This species can be distinguished from other species of Morunasaurus by lacking an enlarged row of vertebral scales, and by having the caudal whorls of spines separated by three transverse rows of scales ventrally and four transverse rows of scales dorsally (versus two and three, respectively, in other Morunasaurus). Dunn (1933) mentioned that M. groi also differs from M. annularis in having a circular (presumably in cross section) rather than compressed tail; however, we find that the tail in both species is nearly circular in cross section [from TORRES-CARVAJAL et al. 2011]. |
Comment | Type Species: Morunasaurus groi DUNN 1933 is the type species of the genus Morunasaurus DUNN 1933. |
Etymology | Named after Lord Gro, a fictional character in E. R. Eddison's 1922 fantasy novel The Worm Ouroboros. |
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