Peter,
As a juvenile Eublehparis macularius owner, I've thought that the fact that
she walks on her legs off the ground is a significant difference from
spectacled geckos as I'm aware of in my limited knowledge. I'm curious as
to how close or far E. macularius is to the spectacled geckos, when they
split off, and what commonalities they have. I realize that some of these
questions may be hard to answer.
I wonder if the maculus (?) evolved for a function. Was it to protect
against dust in a more desert-like environment? Did they get tired of that
big stretch with their tongue? I notice that E. macularis uses their tongue
as a tasting device.
I'm sorry to plague you with all these questions, but I did read your
message and since you're here... :)
Steve
----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Mudde" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2001 4:18 PM
Subject: Gekkotaic taxonomy was [Gecko] pictus inbreeding
> Hi,
> The cladistics in the Gekkota are quite simple, once you see the
divisions.
> The Gekkota as a group is characterised by a number of traits (Procoelus
> vertebrae, lac of osteoderms f.i.) In there, the first split is made
between
> the spectacled geckoes and the Eublepharine geckoes.
>
> The spectacled geckoes are split in the Diplodactyline clade (which lay
> parchment-shelled eggs and have a various amount of litle bones in the
eye.
> The parchment shelled eggs would be a more appropriate character when you
> like live geckoes. Parchment shelled eggs do allow for 'live-bearing',
which
> you find occasionally in the Diplo-clade)
> The diploclade is then separated in the Pygopods (loss of legs and
adaptions
> to this more snakelike look, including a longer tongue, but according to
my
> information, with spectacle!) and the Diplodactyline geckoes. these are
> again split in Diplo's and Carphyloetc....
>
> Then, the hardshelled egg-layers (with in most cases just about 14 or 15
of
> these littel bones in the eye) are a group of their own, the gekkonids,
> which are again split in the real gekkonids and the small, single egg
> producing Sphaerodactylids..
>
> Now wheater you want to call the groups that have split off families,
> subfamilies or suborders, is just a matter of taste, whatever interesting
> filosofies taxonomists come up with. Real cladists have to give every
split
> its own rank in taxonomy and hence have to come up with a lot of
cathegories
> in between and beyond. Others can live with less officially named
> subdivisions. The only really defined cathegory in taxonomy is the species
> and even that is defined in several slightly different manners. There is a
> definition for a genus as well, (a group of species with a common ancester
> which have a new approach to the difficulties of survival.-- By this
> definition, you could make a division between egg-glueing Phelsuma's and
the
> nonglueing species. I bet it will be made one of these days..--)
>
> If you have mannaged to read this so far, keep in mind my it has been
nearly
> fifteen years ago I studied this gekkonid Taxonomy for real, that is, to
get
> a degree in Biology. I might have missed something in between..
>
>
> Peter Mudde
>
> Hoofdredactie 'onder het Palmblad'
> see : www.palmblad.com
>
>
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