Research focus: Ecology, systematics and conservation of legless fossorial lizards (Acontiinae, Scincinae).
Hi there I’m from the University of the Free State and we are conducting research on Acontias plumbeus throughout their distributional range. We have already successfully sampled specimens from Mpumalanga and will be heading to East London next. I would like to appeal to the herpers from East London to pm me if they happen to find any specimens from around that area.
Objective 1
To review the morphology-based taxonomies of the fossorial skink Acontias breviceps, Acontias plumbeus and Acontias gracilicauda using DNA sequence data, with complementary diagnoses using multivariate statistical procedures applied to morphometric and meristic data.
Objective 2
To re-appraise the morphological diagnostic features of taxa in cases where morphological and molecular diagnoses are at variance, with the aim of improving the accuracy of taxonomic keys.
Objective 3
To study the ecology (reproductive biology, movement patterns, social organization, diet, parasitology) of taxa, with the aim of improving our knowledge of their general biology.
Summary of recent findings
1. Five cryptic lineages discovered in Acontias meleagris represent a spectacular increase in diversity in this species.
2. The lack of genetic resolution found among taxa in the genus Microacontias and the maintenance of discrete colour variation in spite of apparent ongoing geneflow among the taxa
3. The discovery of Microacontias lineatus lineatus in the Okavango Delta area, a first record for Botswana, and a substantial range extension
4. Substantial genetic divergence between the Botswana specimen and conspecifics from Namibia and South Africa, tentatively suggesting that it constitutes a new species
5. The higher taxonomic diversity found in the species Scelotes kasneri and Scelotes gronovii on the basis of the DNA sequence data which has further implications for the conservation of these Red Data Book taxa.
Regards
Adriaan