Resumen

ABDALA, Cristian Simón  y  JUAREZ HEREDIA, Viviana Isabel. Taxonomía y filogenia de un grupo de lagartos amenazados: el grupo de Liolaemus anomalus (Iguania: Liolaemidae). Cuad. herpetol. [online]. 2013, vol.27, n.2, pp.109-153. ISSN 1852-5768.

The genus Liolaemus is one of the natural groups with the greatest number of species within Iguania, formed by two subgenera and several monophyletic groups. One of these is the monophyletic group of Liolaemus anomalus, a clade with perhaps the greatest number of proposed taxonomic arrangements. This group is represented by a small number of species with low population densities. It is distributed from south-central Catamarca to southwest La Pampa provinces, Argentina. Species included in this clade are associated to arid and brackish environments, with scarce vegetation, and exposed to high temperatures. They are oviparous, insectivorous and don´t exhibit sexual dimorphism. These species are very difficult to observe and some are being threatened mainly due to human factors. Here, we present a taxonomic review and phylogenetic analysis of the Liolaemus anomalus group. In the morphological matrix used in the phylogenetic analysis, we describe new informative characters for the clade and the genus, which help clarify the relationships within the group. Supporting the cladistic method, statistical analyses (MANOVA) were performed, in order to study in more detail the morphometric characters. In addition, a formal redescription of Liolaemus anomalus, Liolaemus ditadai, Liolaemus lentus and Liolaemus pseudoanomalus, is performed based on new specimens collected during last field trips, using characters not included in the original description. We also describe three new species, providing data which update our knowledge of the different species of the group. Congruence with previous phylogenetic hypotheses is discussed. The phylogenetic results we obtained provide evidence which justify the description of three new species and the proposal of a new hypothesis of relationships for the group of Liolaemus anomalus.

Palabras clave : Lizards; Liolaemus; Cladistics; Statistics; Morphology; New Species; Argentina.