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Mabuyinae
Mabuyinae is a subfamily of lizards, commonly known as skinks, within the family Scincidae. The genera in this subfamily were previously found to belong the '' Mabuya'' group in the large subfamily Lygosominae. They have a pantropical distribution, being found throughout the tropics of Asia, Africa, and the Americas (but excluding most of Australasia aside from '' Eutropis multifasciata'', found in New Guinea). Although originating in and having most species in the Old World, they managed to colonize the Americas in the Miocene; the common ancestor of the American genera is thought to have rafted across the Atlantic from Africa to South America about 18 million years ago, with the skinks diversifying across the Americas and evolving into many new genera. Six genera ('' Alinea, Capitellum'', '' Copeoglossum'', '' Mabuya'', '' Marisora'', '' Spondylurus'') are found in the Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Skink
Skinks are a type of lizard belonging to the family (biology), family Scincidae, a family in the Taxonomic rank, infraorder Scincomorpha. With more than 1,500 described species across 100 different taxonomic genera, the family Scincidae is one of the most diverse families of lizards. Skinks are characterized by their smaller legs in comparison to typical lizards and are found in different habitats except arctic and subarctic regions. Etymology The word ''skink'', which entered the English language around 1580–1590, comes from classical Greek and Latin , names that referred to various specific lizards. Description Skinks look like lizards of the family Lacertidae (sometimes called ''true lizards''), but most species of skinks have no pronounced neck and relatively small legs. Several genera (e.g., ''Typhlosaurus'') have no limbs at all. This is not true for all skinks, however, as some species such as the Tribolonotus gracilis, red-eyed crocodile skink have a head that is ve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lygosominae
Lygosominae is the largest subfamily of skinks in the family Scincidae. The subfamily can be divided into a number of genus groups. If the rarely used taxonomic rank of infrafamily is employed, the genus groups would be designated as such, but such a move would require a formal description according to the ICZN standards. Genera Several Lygosominae genera were notorious " wastebin taxa" in the past, with scientists assigning more or less closely related species to them in a haphazard fashion and without verifying that the new species were close relatives of the genera's type species. What was once placed in '' Lygosoma'', for example, is now divided among some 15 genera, not all in this subfamily. Similarly, ''Mabuya'' and ''Sphenomorphus'' are having species moved elsewhere. *'' Haackgreerius'' (monotypic: endemic to coastal Somalia) *'' Lamprolepis'' – tree skinks *'' Lygosoma'' – writhing skinks *''Mochlus'' - African spp. (synonym ''Lepidothyris'') *''Riopa'' *'' Subdolu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spondylurus
''Spondylurus'' is a genus of lizards in the family Scincidae. The genus ''Spondylurus'', vernacularly known as the Antillean four-lined skinks, is a neotropical skink taxon including many species. Description Species in the genus ''Spondylurus'' are characterized by four (occasionally three to six) dark dorsolateral stripes. This characteristic is known to fade in older individuals, and colors in preservative shift from tans and browns to greens and blues, often causing confusion as to the true color in life. Conservation status Many of the species of ''Spondylurus'' are extinct or endangered, resulting from invasive predators such as the mongoose. Geographic range The genus ''Spondylurus'' is distributed throughout the West Indies including the Caicos Islands, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and the Lesser Antilles. Species list The following 17 species are recognized as being valid, of which seven are considered "possibly extinct": www.reptile-database.org. *'' Spondyl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mabuya
''Mabuya'' is a genus of long-tailed skinks, lizards in the family Scincidae. The genus is restricted to species from various Caribbean islands. Out of 26 recognized species, six species are only found in Caribbean islands. Species in the genus ''Mabuya'' are primarily carnivorous, though many are omnivorous. The genus is viviparous, having a highly evolved placenta that resembles that of eutherian mammals. Formerly, many Old World species were placed here, as ''Mabuya'' was a kind of "wastebasket taxon". These Old World species are now placed in the genera '' Chioninia'', ''Eutropis'', and ''Trachylepis''. Under the older classification, the New World species were referred to as "American mabuyas", and as of 2024 include the genera '' Alinea'', '' Aspronema'', '' Brasiliscincus'', '' Capitellum'', '' Copeoglossum'', '' Maracaiba'', '' Marisora'', and '' Varzea''. Most species in this genus are feared to be possibly extinct due to introduced predators. Species Listed alphabeti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Miocene
The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern marine invertebrates than the Pliocene has. The Miocene followed the Oligocene and preceded the Pliocene. As Earth went from the Oligocene through the Miocene and into the Pliocene, the climate slowly cooled towards a series of ice ages. The Miocene boundaries are not marked by distinct global events but by regionally defined transitions from the warmer Oligocene to the cooler Pliocene Epoch. During the Early Miocene, Afro-Arabia collided with Eurasia, severing the connection between the Mediterranean and Indian Oceans, and allowing the interchange of fauna between Eurasia and Africa, including the dispersal of proboscideans and Ape, hominoids into Eurasia. During the late Miocene, the conn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oceanic Dispersal
Oceanic dispersal is a type of biological dispersal that occurs when Terrestrial animal, terrestrial organisms transfer from one land mass to another by way of a sea crossing. Island hopping is the crossing of an ocean by a series of shorter journeys between islands, as opposed to a single journey directly to the destination. Often this occurs via large rafts of floating vegetation such as are sometimes seen floating down major rivers in the tropics and washing out to sea, occasionally with animals trapped on them. Dispersal via such a raft is sometimes referred to as a rafting event. Colonization of land masses by plants can also occur via long-distance oceanic dispersal of floating seeds. History Rafting has played an important role in the colonization of isolated land masses by mammals. Prominent examples include Madagascar, which has been isolated for ~120 million years (Year#SI prefix multipliers, Ma), and South America, which was isolated for much of the Cenozoic. Both lan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for separating the New World of the Americas (North America and South America) from the Old World of Afro-Eurasia (Africa, Asia, and Europe). Through its separation of Afro-Eurasia from the Americas, the Atlantic Ocean has played a central role in the development of human society, globalization, and the histories of many nations. While the Norse were the first known humans to cross the Atlantic, it was the expedition of Christopher Columbus in 1492 that proved to be the most consequential. Columbus's expedition ushered in an age of exploration and colonization of the Americas by European powers, most notably Portugal, Spain, France, and the United Kingdom. From the 16th to 19th centuries, the Atlantic Ocean was the center of both an eponymou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion of the Americas. South America is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean, on the north and east by the Atlantic Ocean, and to the south by the Drake Passage; North America and the Caribbean Sea lie to the northwest. The continent includes twelve sovereign states: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela; two dependent territory, dependent territories: the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; and one administrative division, internal territory: French Guiana. The Dutch Caribbean ABC islands (Leeward Antilles), ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao) and Trinidad and Tobago are geologically located on the South-American continental shel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alinea (lizard)
''Alinea'' is a genus of skinks endemic to the Lesser Antilles. This genus may be extinct, as one species, ''A. luciae'', is considered extinct by the IUCN Red List, while the other, ''A. lanceolata'', is also feared extinct due to the lack of recent sightings, although potential refuges may exist. However, there is some controversy over whether ''Alinea'' is a separate genus or synonymous with ''Mabuya''. If it is distinct, introduced predators like the Javan mongoose may have contributed to this genus's extinction. Species The following 2 species, listed alphabetically by specific name, are recognized as being valid: *'' Alinea lanceolata'' (Cope, 1862) – Barbados skink (possibly extinct) *'' Alinea luciae'' (Garman, 1887) – Saint Lucia skink (extinct) ''Nota bene ( ; plural: ) is the Latin language, Latin phrase meaning ''note well''. In manuscripts, ''nota bene'' is abbreviated in upper-case as NB and N.B., and in lower-case as n.b. and nb; the editorial usages ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Capitellum (lizard)
''Capitellum'' is a genus of skinks. Species were previously placed in the genus ''Mabuya''. All species in this genus are considered possibly extinct, due to a lack of recent sightings but the presence of potential refuges. Species The following 3 species, listed alphabetically by specific name, are recognized as being valid: *'' Capitellum mariagalantae'' Hedges & Conn, 2012 – Marie-Galante skink (possibly extinct) *'' Capitellum metallicum'' (Bocourt, 1879) – lesser Martinique skink (possibly extinct) *'' Capitellum parvicruzae'' Hedges & Conn, 2012 – lesser Saint Croix skink (possibly extinct) ''Nota bene ( ; plural: ) is the Latin language, Latin phrase meaning ''note well''. In manuscripts, ''nota bene'' is abbreviated in upper-case as NB and N.B., and in lower-case as n.b. and nb; the editorial usages of ''nota bene'' and ''notate bene'' fi ...'': A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other tha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Copeoglossum
''Copeoglossum'' is a genus of skinks. They were previously placed in the genus ''Mabuya''. Species The following five species, listed alphabetically by specific name, are recognized as being valid: *'' Copeoglossum arajara'' (Reboucas-Spieker, 1981) – Arajara mabuya *'' Copeoglossum aurae'' Hedges & Conn, 2012 – Greater Windward skink *'' Copeoglossum margaritae'' Hedges & Conn, 2012 – Margarita skink *'' Copeoglossum nigropunctatum'' (Spix, 1825) – Black-spotted skink *'' Copeoglossum redondae'' Hedges & Conn, 2012 – Redonda skink(extinct) ''Nota bene ( ; plural: ) is the Latin language, Latin phrase meaning ''note well''. In manuscripts, ''nota bene'' is abbreviated in upper-case as NB and N.B., and in lower-case as n.b. and nb; the editorial usages of ''nota bene'' and ''notate bene'' fi ...'': A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than ''Copeoglossum''. References Lizard genera ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; , fossilized , also known as Papua or historically ) is the List of islands by area, world's second-largest island, with an area of . Located in Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Mainland Australia, Australia by the wide Torres Strait, though both landmasses lie on the same continental shelf, and were united during episodes of low sea level in the Pleistocene glaciations as the combined landmass of Sahul. Numerous smaller islands are located to the west and east. The island's name was given by Spanish explorer Yñigo Ortiz de Retez during his maritime expedition of 1545 due to the perceived resemblance of the indigenous peoples of the island to those in the Guinea (region), African region of Guinea. The eastern half of the island is the major land mass of the nation of Papua New Guinea. The western half, known as Western New Guinea, forms a part of Indonesia and is organized as the provinces of Pap ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
