TitleA New Miocene-Divergent Lineage of Old World Racer Snake from India.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2016
AuthorsMirza ZA, Vyas R, Patel H, Maheta J, Sanap RV
JournalPLoS One
Volume11
Issue3
Paginatione0148380
Date Published2016
ISSN1932-6203
Abstract

A distinctive early Miocene-divergent lineage of Old world racer snakes is described as a new genus and species based on three specimens collected from the western Indian state of Gujarat. Wallaceophis gen. et. gujaratenesis sp. nov. is a members of a clade of old world racers. The monotypic genus represents a distinct lineage among old world racers is recovered as a sister taxa to Lytorhynchus based on ~3047bp of combined nuclear (cmos) and mitochondrial molecular data (cytb, ND4, 12s, 16s). The snake is distinct morphologically in having a unique dorsal scale reduction formula not reported from any known colubrid snake genus. Uncorrected pairwise sequence divergence for nuclear gene cmos between Wallaceophis gen. et. gujaratenesis sp. nov. other members of the clade containing old world racers and whip snake is 21-36%.

DOI10.1371/journal.pone.0148380
Alternate JournalPLoS ONE
PubMed ID26934509
PubMed Central IDPMC4774991