Molecular Evidence for the Nonmonophyly of the Asian Natricid GenusXenochrophis(Serpentes, Colubroidea) as Inferred from Mitochondrial and Nuclear Genes

Molecular phylogenetics of sub-Saharan African natricine snakes, and the biogeographic origins of the Seychelles endemic Lycognathophis seychellensis

“…5%) in mainland sub-Saharan Africa, and none in Madagascar (Uetz et al, 2020). Previous molecular phylogenetic analyses (Vidal et al, 2008;Dubey et al, 2012;Guo et al, 2012;Pyron et al, 2013;Zaher et al, 2019) supported the natricine colubrid (natricid according to some classifications: e.g., Zaher et al, 2019) identity of L. seychellensis proposed by Dowling (1990) based on vertebral and hemipenial anatomy, and indicated a close relationship with (and possible membership of) a mainland sub-Saharan African natricine radiation.…”

“…1 for distribution map) and only four of the 13 currently recognised species. Additionally, those previous studies disagreed as to whether L. seychellensis is more closely related to Afronatrix (Dubey et al, 2012;Pyron et al, 2013;Zaher et al, 2019) or to Natriciteres (Guo et al, 2012). As far as we are aware, there are no phylogenetic hypotheses that include all mainland sub-Saharan African natricine genera such that, beyond the close inferred relationship of the only two previously sampled genera in molecular phylogenetic studies (Afronatrix and Natriciteres), there appears to have been no previous consideration as to whether the mainland sub-Saharan African natricines constitute a single radiation and what their biogeographic origins might be.…”

Rediscovery ofXenochrophis bellulus(Stoliczka, 1871) from Myanmar (Serpentes: Natricinae) with comments on its taxonomic status

“…Therefore, we agree with Malnate & Underwood's interpretations that X. bellulus shares more apomorphies with taxa assigned to Xenochrophis than Sinonatrix, but note that the phylogenetic relationships of the two genera in relation to other Southeast Asian natricines is far from resolved. Molecular analyses conducted by Dubey et al (2012) and Guo et al (2012) suggest that Xenochrophis sensu stricto is not monophyletic. Members of the X. piscator group nested with members of the genus Atretium, and X. vittatus (Linnaeus, 1758) was placed sister to Rhabdophis.…”

Discovery of a deeply divergent new lineage of vine snake (Colubridae: Ahaetuliinae: Proahaetulla gen. nov.) from the southern Western Ghats of Peninsular India with a revised key for Ahaetuliinae

“…Three mitochondrial genes, Cytochrome-b (Cytb, 1048 bp), NADH dehydrogenase subunit 4 (ND4, 663 bp), 16S rRNA (472 bp) and two nuclear genes, Oocyte maturation factor (c- mos , 552 bp) and recombination activating gene 1 (RAG1, 855 bp) were amplified with previously published primers (S1 Table). The PCR conditions and preparation protocol were the same as earlier studies [29–32]; however minor modifications of annealing temperature were applied in a few PCR reactions. The PCR amplified products were purified using QIAquick PCR purification kit (Qiagen).…”