AUSTRALIAN BIODIVERSITY RECORD - Calodema

Australian Biodiversity Record, 2009 (3): 1-96
Sphenomorphus australis-group comprised eight taxa - Sphenomorphus arnhemicus,
Sphenomorphus australis, Sphenomorphus cracens, Sphenomorphus crassicaudus,
Sphenomorphus darwiniensis, Sphenomorphus mjobergi, Sphenomorphus pumilus, and
Sphenomorphus punctulatus. The Sphenomorphus isolepis-group comprised six taxa -
Sphenomorphus brongersmai, Sphenomorphus douglasi, Sphenomorphus fuscicaudis,
Sphenomorphus isolepis, Sphenomorphus nigricaudis, and Sphenomorphus pardalis. The
Sphenomorphus murrayi-group comprised five taxa - Sphenomorphus amplus,
Sphenomorphus luteilateralis, Sphenomorphus murrayi, Sphenomorphus tenuis, and
Sphenomorphus tigrinus. Both Wilson and Knowles’ (1988) and Ehmann’s (1992)
Sphenomorphus groupings were obviously intended as putative generic arrangements that
implied (I believe incorrectly) monophyletic radiations. The only available names for a part of
these groups of species - those earlier erected by Wells and Wellington (1984, 1985) were
completely ignored by Wilson and Knowles who were presumably reticent to inject radically
new taxonomy into what was essentially a mass-market popular book. In the case of Ehmann,
the Wells and Wellington names had been effectively frozen by an application to the ICZN for
suppression - which forced Ehmann and others post-1988 to maintain use of Sphenomorphus
- although by the time of publication of Ehmann’s work, the matter had already been resolved
by the ICZN. As the Wells and Wellington works were not suppressed by the ICZN, the
alternative generic arrangement became available for use in 1991 - although Greer and
others had already started using Wells and Wellington names well in advance of the ICZN’s
decision (for example Concinnia was already in limited use by 1989).
In 1992, Greer’s landmark revision on the tenuis complex, not only added new species and
data for previously described taxa, it also confirmed the taxonomic validity of martini, and
clearly established that the tenuis group was a distinct phyletic radiation. This would have
been an opportune publication for the recognition of the genus Concinnia for the group, but
Greer maintained the use of Eulamprus for the revision, despite having used Concinnia earlier
presumably because there was still no clear understanding that the included members were
each others closest relatives. Although I was initially at odds with this decision, I eventually
came to realise that Greer was correct in his conservative approach to the significance of
relationships within the tenuis group.
In the most recent comprehensive texts on the Australian Reptilia the name Sphenomorphus
is now effectively removed from the Australian fauna. However, the phylogeny of the group
within Australia is still partly unresolved, with some of the various species groups having been
now dumped within just two genera - Eulamprus and Glaphyromorphus. I have prepared
revisions of all the other members of the Sphenomorphine radiation in Australia and I
anticipate publication as soon as possible. The new arrangement that is presented below for
Eulamprus and Glaphyromorphus (sensu Wilson and Swan (2008) will hopefully clarify some
of the issues of phylogeny that have largely remained unresolved, and perhaps stimulate a
fresh look at the entire group. I have included a complete primary synonymy for each species,
but only a partial secondary synonymy of some of the more important popular works that
mention the particular taxon. Given the known diversity and distribution of the various
assemblages, I have little doubt that other related species remain to be discovered and it is
hoped that the following framework will be of assistance as such new discoveries come to
light.
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