J 2018

A new species of Varanus (Anguimorpha: Varanidae) from the early Miocene of the Czech Republic, and its relationships and palaeoecology

IVANOV, Martin, Marcello RUTA, Jozef KLEMBARA and Madelaine BÖHME

Basic information

Original name

A new species of Varanus (Anguimorpha: Varanidae) from the early Miocene of the Czech Republic, and its relationships and palaeoecology

Authors

IVANOV, Martin (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution), Marcello RUTA (826 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland), Jozef KLEMBARA (703 Slovakia) and Madelaine BÖHME (276 Germany)

Edition

Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, Spojené království­, Taylor & Francis, 2018, 1477-2019

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

10600 1.6 Biological sciences

Country of publisher

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

Impact factor

Impact factor: 2.315

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14310/18:00102017

Organization unit

Faculty of Science

DOI

UT WoS

000430864800003

Keywords in English

morphology;palaeoecology;phylogeny;skull;Varanus

Tags

International impact, Reviewed
Změněno: 3/9/2018 11:17, doc. Mgr. Martin Ivanov, Dr.

Abstract

V originále

Skeletal remains of a new early Miocene (Ottnangian, MN 4 mammal zone) monitor lizard, Varanus mokrensis sp. nov., are described from two karst fissures in the Mokrá-Western Quarry (1/2001 Turtle Joint; 2/2003 Reptile Joint), Czech Republic, providing the first documented example of a European varanid for which osteological data permit a well-supported assignment to the genus Varanus. The new species is morphologically similar to the Recent IndoAsiatic varanids of the Varanus bengalensis group. A Bayesian analysis shows V. mokrensis to be closely related to extant representatives of the Indo-Asiatic Varanus clade, with close afinities to the V. bengalensis species group. The topology of the Bayesian tree supports the hypothesis that Miocene monitors from Mokrá are representatives of a lineage that is ancestral to the well-defined clade of extant African varanids, including the early Miocene V. rusingensis. In addition, our results support a Eurasian origin for the varanid clade.