Topic
Coluber
About: Coluber is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 139 publications have been published within this topic receiving 1985 citations.
Papers published on a yearly basis
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Papers
TL;DR: This work provides the largest-yet estimate of the snake tree of life using maximum likelihood on a supermatrix of 1745 taxa (1652 snake species + 7 outgroup taxa) and 9,523 base pairs from 10 loci (5 nuclear, 5 mitochondrial), including previously unsequenced genera and species.
Abstract: Background With over 3,500 species encompassing a diverse range of morphologies and ecologies, snakes make up 36% of squamate diversity. Despite several attempts at estimating higher-level snake relationships and numerous assessments of generic- or species-level phylogenies, a large-scale species-level phylogeny solely focusing on snakes has not been completed. Here, we provide the largest-yet estimate of the snake tree of life using maximum likelihood on a supermatrix of 1745 taxa (1652 snake species + 7 outgroup taxa) and 9,523 base pairs from 10 loci (5 nuclear, 5 mitochondrial), including previously unsequenced genera (2) and species (61). Results Increased taxon sampling resulted in a phylogeny with a new higher-level topology and corroborate many lower-level relationships, strengthened by high nodal support values (> 85%) down to the species level (73.69% of nodes). Although the majority of families and subfamilies were strongly supported as monophyletic with > 88% support values, some families and numerous genera were paraphyletic, primarily due to limited taxon and loci sampling leading to a sparse supermatrix and minimal sequence overlap between some closely-related taxa. With all rogue taxa and incertae sedis species eliminated, higher-level relationships and support values remained relatively unchanged, except in five problematic clades. Conclusion Our analyses resulted in new topologies at higher- and lower-levels; resolved several previous topological issues; established novel paraphyletic affiliations; designated a new subfamily, Ahaetuliinae, for the genera Ahaetulla, Chrysopelea, Dendrelaphis, and Dryophiops; and appointed Hemerophis (Coluber) zebrinus to a new genus, Mopanveldophis. Although we provide insight into some distinguished problematic nodes, at the deeper phylogenetic scale, resolution of these nodes may require sampling of more slowly-evolving nuclear genes.
296 citations
TL;DR: The phylogenetic relationships of the Holarctic ratsnakes (Elaphe auct.) are inferred from portions of two mitochondrial genes, 12S rRNA and COI, and another new genus is described for four Oriental species.
Abstract: The phylogenetic relationships of the Holarctic ratsnakes (Elaphe auct.) are inferred from portions of two mitochondrial genes, 12S rRNA and COI. Elaphe Fitzinger is made up of ten Palaearctic species. Natrix longissima Laurenti (type species) and four western Palaearctic species (hohenackeri, lineatus, persicus, and situla) are assigned to Zamenis Wagler. Its phylogenetic affinities with closely related genera, Coronella and Oocatochus, remain unclear. The East Asian Coluber porphyraceus Cantor is referred to a new genus. This taxon and the western European Rhinechis scalaris have an isolated position among Old World ratsnakes. Another new genus is described for four Oriental species (cantoris, hodgsonii, moellendorffi, and taeniurus). New World ratsnakes and allied genera are monophyletic. Coluber flavirufus Cope is referred to Pseudelaphe Mertens and Rosenberg. Pantherophis Fitzinger is revalidated for Coluber guttatus L. (type species) and further Nearctic species (bairdi, obsoletus, and vulpinus). Senticolis triaspis is the sister taxon of New World ratsnakes including the genera Arizona, Bogertophis, Lampropeltis, Pituophis, and Rhinocheilus. The East Asian Coluber conspicillatus Boie and Coluber mandarinus Cantor form a monophyletic outgroup with respect to other Holarctic ratsnake genera and are referred to Euprepiophis Fitzinger. Three Old World species, viz. Elaphe (sensu lato) bella, E. (s.l.) frenata, and E. (s.l.) prasina remain unassigned. The various groups of ratsnakes (tribe Lampropeltini) show characteristic hemipenis features.
125 citations
TL;DR: Inter- and subgeneric relationships among many of the Old World racer groups have been resolved and the position of ‘Coluber’ zebrinus along with Hemerophis socotrae located at the base of theOld World racer radiation forming the possible sister group to all remaining Palearctic racers and whipsnakes remains less well supported.
Abstract: Four protein-encoding mitochondrial genes (cytochrome b, NADH-dehydrogenase subunits 1, 2 and 4) and one nuclear (c-mos) gene were sequenced to infer phylogenetic relationships among Old and New World representatives of racers and whipsnakes, Coluber (sensu lato). New World Coluber (Coluber sensu stricto, including Masticophis) and Salvadora proved to have affinities with the Old World non-racer colubrine genus Ptyas (and possibly Elaphe s.l. and Coronella), whereas Old World ‘Coluber’ form several basally related clades; these are (1) Hemorrhois(Spalerosophis-Platyceps); (2) Hierophis, with Eirenis nested within this paraphyletic genus and (3) ‘Coluber’ dorri as the sister taxon to Macroprotodon cucullatus. The position of ‘Coluber’ zebrinus along with Hemerophis socotrae located at the base of the Old World racer radiation forming the possible sister group to all remaining Palearctic racers and whipsnakes remains less well supported. Nevertheless, inter- and subgeneric relationships among many of the Old World racer groups have been resolved.
121 citations
Journal Article•
TL;DR: The Early Miocene Merkur−North locality (MN 3a) represents the oldest known Miocene ophidian locality in Europe east of Germany and is characterised by high species diversity and includes the following families: Boidae, Elaphe sp.
Abstract: The Early Miocene Merkur−North locality (MN 3a) represents the oldest known Miocene ophidian locality in Europe east of Germany. The snake assemblage is characterised by high species diversity and includes the following families: Boidae (Bavarioboa sp.), Colubridae (Coluber dolnicensis, Coluber suevicus, Coluber caspioides, cf. Elaphe sp., Natrix merkurensis sp. nov., Natrix sansaniensis), Elapidae (Elapidae gen. et sp. indet.), and Viperidae (Vipera sp.—“Vipera aspis” complex). Fossils of the extinct species, Coluber dolnicensis, Coluber suevicus, and Natrix sansaniensis, represent their earliest known occurrences. The cranial elements of C. suevicus and N. sansaniensis are described for the first time. Discoveries of cf. Elaphe sp. may represent the earliest fossil member of the genus Elaphe. Elapidae gen. et sp. indet. probably represents the oldest known member of the cobras.
70 citations
TL;DR: The Lower Miocene locality of Dolnice (West Czechoslovakia) has yielded remains of about 12 ophidian taxa, including Gongylophis sp.sp, Vipera of the “Oriental vipers” group, which represent recent genera of more isolated occurrence.
Abstract: The Lower Miocene (MN 4) locality of Dolnice (West Czechoslovakia) has yielded remains of about 12 ophidian taxa: Scolecophidia indet., Bransateryx septentrionalis, n.sp., cf. Gongylophis sp. (Boidae), Palaeonatrix lehmani, Neonatrix nova, n.sp., Texasophis bohemiacus, n.sp., Coluber dolnicensis, n.sp., three different unidentified colubrine snakes (Colubridae), Vipera platys-pondyla, n.sp., and Vipera antiqua, n.sp. (Viperidae). Several of the above snake genera are well known from other Miocene sites in West Europe and North America (Bransateryx, Neonatrix, Texasophis), while others represent recent genera of more isolated occurrence (Gongylophis, Vipera of the “Oriental vipers” group).
64 citations
Related Topics (5)
Performance Metrics
| Year | Papers |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2016 | 5 |