File:An ecogeographic analysis of the herpetofauna of the Yucatan Peninsula (1980) (21130904472).jpg

Title: An ecogeographic analysis of the herpetofauna of the Yucatan Peninsula
Identifier: ecogeographicana00leej (find matches)
Year: 1980 (1980s)
Authors: Lee, Julian C
Subjects: Amphibians; Amphibians; Reptiles; Reptiles
Publisher: Lawrence : University of Kansas
Contributing Library: Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Ernst Mayr Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Ernst Mayr Library

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32 MISCELLANEOUS PUBLICATION MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY sula is certainly no surprise; indeed, it is the absence of some such species (e.g. Coniophanes picevittis) that is note- worthy. The origin of this portion of the peninsular herpetofauna thus involves the larger question of the origins of the Middle American herpetofauna, a sub- ject treated at length by Savage (1966). Primarily on the basis of modem distri- bution patterns. Savage (1966) charac- terized the genera of Middle American amphibians and reptiles as belonging to four historical assemblages: Old North- ern, Middle American, South American, and Young Northern. He concluded that the herpetofauna of Middle America is not transitional between that of the Neo- tropics and the Nearctic, but rather is sufficiently distinct to stand alone as a separate major herpetofauna. If we ac- cept Savage's interpretation, 15.1% of the peninsular genera belong to the Old Northern assemblage, 48.4% to the Mid- dle American assemblage, 15.1% to the South American assemblage and 4.3% to the Young Northern assemblage. The re- maining genera cannot be easily referred to a particular assemblage. At the spe- cific level, 13.4% of the peninsular species show Old Northern affinities, 49.4% show Middle American affinities, 12.8% show South American affinities, and 4.9% show Young Northern affinities. Thus, at the generic and specific levels, the peninsular herpetofauna as a whole shows its great- est affinities with the Middle American assemblage, a conclusion wholly ex- pected on the basis of geography alone. Few genera and species appear to be Nearctic or Neotropical derivatives.
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Fig. 19.—South peninsular disjuncts. A. Sceloporus chrysostictus. B. Cnemidophorus angusticeps. C. Conophis lineatus. D. Masticophis mentovarius. E. Stenorrhina freminvillei.

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