Uroplatus evolution! fascinating, I was going to write on the subject but
found no honorable sources near home. I choose Tarentola instead.
Here's what I know. It appears that several Madagascan gekkonid genera have
a north/south or east/west distribution amoungst its species. These include
Uroplatus, Paragehyra, and, perhaps most notably, Ebenavia. Raxworthy and
Nussabaum gave rise to the possible that the then Phyllodactylus peringueyi
(now Cryptactites peringueyi) of South Africa may well be an Ebenavia as it
differes from Phyllodactylus. However, I think they were lacking a specimin
and only theorized out of proir accounts.
Well, the species Uroplatus guentheri, U. malaheleo, and U. malama differ
from most of the other species in there West and Southern distibutions
(respectivly). A very interesting fact is U. guentheri is reported to have
the ability to run. This is key as major skeletal features should be present
(or not present) to run (or not run). As very little is recorded from U.
malaheleo and U. malama, I do not know whether they too posess this ability.
Furthermore, I think U. lineatus occurs on the same side of the island as U.
guentheri. However, the different distributions and this ability suggest to
me a geographic break up the the genus' evolutionary path. I should note
that very few alluaudi specimens are know and I for one know very little
about this new "spiny Uroplatus" (looks a lot like alluaudi to me). Will
anyone keeping or kept alluaudi, malaheleo, or malama please tell the list or
me off the list if they have noted any bizzare or unique features?
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