Description of a new species of crested newt, previously subsumed in Triturus ivanbureschi (Amphibia: Caudata: Salamandridae)
Author
Wielstra, B.
Author
Arntzen, J. W.
text
Zootaxa
2016
4109
1
73
80
journal article
39130
10.11646/zootaxa.4109.1.6
6875db92-ff8d-4e6e-9289-eab37f2e6061
1175-5326
260655
E2CABF95-7527-42BD-B895-CD5A2B5F7CD1
Triturus anatolicus
sp. nov.
Type
material.
Holotype
.
RMNH
.
RENA
.48232, an adult male (
Fig. 3
) from Gölköy, near Kalecik,
Turkey
(coordinates:
40.077°N
,
33.341°E
, elevation:
1230 meter
a.s.l.;
Fig. 4
), collected
6 April 2014
and donated to Naturalis Biodiversity Center by Kurtuluş Olgun from the Department of Biology at Adnan Menderes University, Aydın,
Turkey
.
Paratypes
.
Six males (
RMNH
.
RENA
.48233-48238), six females (
RMNH
.
RENA
.48239-48245), and a juvenile (
RMNH
.
RENA
.48246), with collection details identical to the
holotype
. For imagery, see
Fig. 3
and online Appendix 1 and 2.
FIGURE 2.
Genetic data for
Triturus ivanbureschi
sensu
lato
presented in Wielstra
et al.
(submitted) illustrate the sharp geographical overturn between the genotypes representing its two constituent species. Panel (a) shows the 67 sampled populations as dots with the colored background representing a rough distribution outline of the two species based on nuclear DNA. Populations are colored according to the mtDNA type present; western populations of
Triturus anatolicus
sp. nov.
possess mtDNA of
Triturus ivanbureschi
sensu
stricto
. Those populations harboring individuals showing introgression and genetically admixed individuals based on nuclear DNA (as defined below) are highlighted. Panel (b) shows a Structure plot representing
Q
scores with which the 428 sampled individuals were allocated to two different species (
k
= 2 was the optimal number of gene pools inferred in the Structure analysis). The individuals are ordered based on the
Q
score with which they are allocated to
T. ivanbureschi
sensu
stricto
, from high to low values. Individuals allocated to their respective species with
Q
≥ 0.987 are considered genetically pure. Individuals showing introgression are defined as being allocated to a species with 0.987>
Q
> 0.85 and genetically admixed individuals as being allocated to either species with
Q
≤ 0.85. Those individuals that are not genetically pure are highlighted in panel (b). Note that nuclear introgression is geographically asymmetric.
Diagnosis.
The new species is assigned to the genus
Triturus
because it possesses the characteristics of crested newts (the
T. cristatus
superspecies), in particular the combination of a denticulated crest (in males in breeding costume), a dark brown dorsal coloration and an orange ventral side covered with black spots. Based on mtDNA sequence data, crested newts from the
type
locality are firmly placed in the genus
Triturus
, within the distinct ‘central
T. karelinii
sensu
lato
’ mtDNA lineage (Wielstra
et al.
, 2010). Although identification based on mtDNA is possible across the majority of the range of the new species, mtDNA derived from
T. ivanbureschi
has introgressed at the western part of the range (Wielstra
et al.
, submitted;
Fig. 2
). The pattern of asymmetric introgression is mirrored by certain individual nuclear DNA markers and we consider this to represent a genomic footprint of hybrid zone movement (Wielstra
et al.
, submitted;
Fig. 2
).
As
yet only multilocus nuclear DNA sequence data distinguish
T. anatolicus
sp. nov.
unambiguously from
T. ivanbureschi
– and from
T. karelinii
, with which both
T. anatolicus
sp. nov.
and
T. ivanbureschi
were until recently considered conspecific (Wielstra
et al.
, submitted). No morphological features are currently known to distinguish the three species comprising
T. karelinii
sensu
lato
. How to separate
T. anatolicus
sp. nov.
,
T. ivanbureschi
and
T. karelinii
from the other crested newt species is discussed in
Wielstra
et al.
(2013b)
.
Description of
holotype
.
A relatively robust crested newt, with a broad head (wider than neck) and well developed limbs. Four fingers and five toes. Toes fringed but interdigital webbing absent. Relative length of fingers left 1 <4 <2 <3, right 4 <1 <3 <2 (3 and 4 possibly regenerated). Relative length of toes on both sides 1 <5 <2 <4 <3. Skin granulated on dorsal and lateral sides, tail base and throat; tail and venter smooth. Gular fold inconspicuous. Swollen cloaca with papillae bordering cloacal slit. Denticulated crest, indented over the position of the legs and cloaca. Laterally compressed tail with evident dorsal fin and less conspicuous ventral fin. In life a brownish-blackish base color on the dorsolateral side, with scattered black flecks, most pronounced and marbled on the head. Bluish-white streak along the lateral side of the tail along the caudal vertebrae. A deep-orange ventral side and throat, dotted with small angular black spots; throat spots smaller and denser than belly spots. In the preserved state colors have slightly faded (see online Appendix 1).
TABLE 1.
Number of rib-bearing pre-sacral vertebrae and measurements (in millimeters) for the holotype and paratypes of
Triturus anatolicus
sp. nov.
Museum number |
Sex |
Material |
NRBV |
SVL1 |
SVL2 |
TL |
ILD |
RMNH.RENA.48232 |
male |
holotype |
13 |
53 |
61 |
108 |
27 |
RMNH.RENA.48233 |
male |
paratype |
13 |
63 |
71 |
126 |
34 |
RMNH.RENA.48234 |
male |
paratype |
12 |
53 |
60 |
110 |
29 |
RMNH.RENA.48235 |
male |
paratype |
13 |
53 |
61 |
109 |
26 |
RMNH.RENA.48236 |
male |
paratype |
13 |
50 |
58 |
100 |
27 |
RMNH.RENA.48237 |
male |
paratype |
13 |
56 |
64 |
115 |
30 |
RMNH.RENA.48238 |
male |
paratype |
13 |
53 |
60 |
110 |
29 |
RMNH.RENA.48239 |
female |
paratype |
13 |
57 |
62 |
118 |
31 |
RMNH.RENA.48240 |
female |
paratype |
13 |
62 |
68 |
133 |
32 |
RMNH.RENA.48241 |
female |
paratype |
13 |
58 |
63 |
122 |
33 |
RMNH.RENA.48242 |
female |
paratype |
13 |
58 |
62 |
123 |
30 |
RMNH.RENA.48243 |
female |
paratype |
13 |
62 |
67 |
117 ** |
33 |
RMNH.RENA.48244 |
female |
paratype |
13 |
65 |
70 |
131 |
36 |
RMNH.RENA.48245 |
female |
paratype |
13 |
56 |
60 |
111 |
31 |
RMNH.RENA.48246 |
juvenile |
paratype |
13 |
51 |
55 |
102 |
29 |
continued.
Museum number |
Sex |
Material |
HL |
HW |
Arm |
Finger3 |
Leg |
Toe4 |
RMNH.RENA.48232 |
male |
holotype |
16.2 |
10.6 |
18.7 |
5.6 * |
22.1 |
9.5 |
RMNH.RENA.48233 |
male |
paratype |
18.4 |
12.0 |
26.9 |
10.4 |
26.6 |
11.6 |
RMNH.RENA.48234 |
male |
paratype |
16.5 |
11.5 |
22.7 |
8.6 |
25.9 |
10.4 |
RMNH.RENA.48235 |
male |
paratype |
16.3 |
11.2 |
22.0 |
7.9 |
22.9 |
8.8 |
RMNH.RENA.48236 |
male |
paratype |
15.5 |
10.7 |
20.2 |
7.7 |
21.3 |
8.6 |
RMNH.RENA.48237 |
male |
paratype |
16.7 |
11.9 |
19.1 |
5.5 |
23.7 |
9.3 |
RMNH.RENA.48238 |
male |
paratype |
16.6 |
11.5 |
20.8 |
7.8 |
22.8 |
9.4 |
RMNH.RENA.48239 |
female |
paratype |
16.8 |
11.2 |
21.5 |
6.8 |
21.9 |
8.1 |
RMNH.RENA.48240 |
female |
paratype |
18.5 |
13.0 |
23.6 |
8.9 |
24.1 |
9.5 |
RMNH.RENA.48241 |
female |
paratype |
17.2 |
11.5 |
20.8 |
7.9 |
22.2 |
7.8 |
RMNH.RENA.48242 |
female |
paratype |
17.1 |
11.4 |
20.9 |
7.8 |
21.1 |
8.1 |
RMNH.RENA.48243 |
female |
paratype |
18.6 |
13.3 |
23.4 |
9.0 |
22.9 |
7.1 |
RMNH.RENA.48244 |
female |
paratype |
18.7 |
13.5 |
24.4 |
9.5 |
23.0 |
8.6 |
RMNH.RENA.48245 |
female |
paratype |
16.1 |
11.0 |
20.7 |
7.2 |
22.6 |
8.0 |
RMNH.RENA.48246 |
juvenile |
paratype |
15.2 |
10.3 |
17.6 |
6.6 |
18.6 |
6.7 |
Abbreviations used are:
NRBV
= Number of rib-bearing pre-sacral vertebrae; SVL1 = Snout-vent length up to and including the insertion of the hind-legs; SVL2 = Snout-vent length up to and including the cloaca; TL = Total length; ILD = Inter-limb distance; HL = Head length; HW = Head width; Arm = Length of the right arm including the third finger; Finger3 = Length of the right third finger; Leg = Length of the right leg including the fourth toe; Toe4 = Length of the right fourth toe. * Finger c3/4 regenerated; ** Deformed tail tip.
FIGURE 3.
The holotype and one of the paratypes of
Triturus anatolicus
sp. nov.
in life. Lateral (a) and ventral (b) view of a male (below, holotype, RMNH.RENA.48232) and a female (above, paratype, RMNH.RENA.48239).
FIGURE 4.
The type locality of
Triturus anatolicus
sp. nov.
at Gölköy, Turkey.
The number of rib-bearing pre-sacral vertebrae (NRBV) is 13, as determined from X-ray photographs (see online Appendix 2). The following measurements are in millimeters and have been determined with plastic Vernier calipers. Snout-vent length up to and including the hind-legs 53; Snout-vent length up to and including the cloaca 61; Total length 108; Inter-limb distance 27; Head length 16.2; Head width 10.6; Length of the right arm including the third finger 18.7; Length of the right third finger 5.6; Length of the right leg including the fourth toe 22.1; Length of the right fourth toe 9.5.
Description of
paratypes
.
The morphology of the
paratypes
resembles that of the
holotype
in general, but the pattern of black spots on the ventral side is highly variable among individuals (online Appendix 1). Compared to males (such as the
holotype
), adult females have non-swollen cloacae, lack the denticulated crest and possess a less pronounced tail fin. All
paratypes
have an NRBV count of 13 except one, which has an NRBV count of 12 (
Table 1
; online Appendix 2). In
Table 1
the same measurements as taken for the
holotype
are provided for the
paratypes
.
Distribution.
The distribution encompasses Asiatic
Turkey
south of the Black Sea, reaching up to c. 200 kilometers inland (usually less), but not into inner
Anatolia
. To the west the new species reaches the Bosphorus at the northern side of the Marmara Sea. On the southern side of the Marmara Sea it meets
T. ivanbureschi
sensu
stricto
, east of Lake Ulubat and west of the city of Bursa. The two species form a hybrid zone here (Wielstra
et al.
, submitted). To the east the new species reaches the town of Yomra, just east of the city of Trabzon. The nearest known
Triturus
localities further east are from the extreme NE of
Turkey
, over
150 km
away, and probably concern
T. karelinii
sensu
stricto
(
Wielstra
et al.
, 2013a
). An outline of the distribution of the new species is provided in
Fig. 1
. A database of distribution records is provided in
Wielstra
et al.
(2014b)
.
Etymology.
The specific epithet reflects the distribution of the new
Triturus
species.
Triturus anatolicus
sp. nov.
is endemic to
Anatolia
. It is the only
Triturus
species to which this applies. It should be noted that the range of
T. ivanbureschi
sensu
stricto
covers western
Anatolia
(
Wielstra
et al.
, 2013a
; Wielstra
et al.
, submitted) and the range of
T. karelinii
sensu
stricto
probably protrudes into northeastern
Anatolia
(Wielstra
et al.
, 2010).
Proposed vernacular name.
We propose to use the vernacular name Anatolian Crested Newt for
T. anatolicus
sp. nov.
This name highlights its status as an Anatolian endemic. We suggest to use the vernacular name Balkan Crested Newt for
T. ivanbureschi
sensu
stricto
(rather than Balkan-Anatolian Crested Newt previously applied to
T. ivanbureschi
sensu
lato
). Although
T. ivanbureschi
sensu
stricto
also partially occurs in
Anatolia
, the main part of its range is in the Balkan Peninsula.