Gallotia

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Gallotia
Temporal range: 10–0  Ma
O
S
D
C
P
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Pg
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Miocene–Recent
Eidechsen Teide.jpg
Tenerife lizard
(Gallotia galloti galloti)
male (top) and female
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Lacertidae
Subfamily: Gallotiinae
Genus: Gallotia
Boulenger, 1916
Species

The genus Gallotia are the lacertids (wall lizards) of the Canary Islands. This genus consists of a group that has been evolving there ever since the first islands emerged from the sea over 20 million years ago. The endemic species and subspecies of this group have a number of characteristics that make them quite special within their family (Lacertidae); their only close relatives are the sandrunner lizards ( Psammodromus ) of the western Mediterranean region. Gallotia are characteristic for eating significant quantities of plants, and several lineages are often presented as classic examples for insular gigantism. However, a find of an even larger Gallotia species from the early Miocene of mainland Europe casts doubt on this assumption. Instead the ancestor of all modern Gallotia species of the Canary islands was probably already very large but carnivorous (Černaňský et al., 2016).

Contents

Systematics and biogeography

This genus can be broadly divided into two groups - lineages originating from the colonization of the earliest Canary Islands of Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria, probably between 10-20 million years ago, and a lineage that colonised the younger western islands probably less than 10 million years ago (Cox et al., 2010). Both lineages contain large and small species.

MtDNA analyses indicate that Lanzarote and Fuerteventura were colonized first and this led to the small body-sized G. atlantica which is present today (Cox et al., 2010). Gran Canaria was the next island to have been colonized from Lanzarote/Fuerteventura, giving rise to the large body-sized species, G. stehlini (Cox et al., 2010). Finally, the clade that colonized the younger western islands was likely to have originated from Lanzarote/Fuerteventura. This western island clade diverged into two groups, all of which colonized Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro, leading to 1) a medium-bodied (e.g., G. caesaris from El Hierro) and 2) a large bodied "giant" species (e.g., G. simonyi from El Hierro) on each of these islands (note that G. intermedia from Tenerife belongs to the "giant" group, but present-day individuals are not that large). The giant species now exist, at best, in small relict populations, while G. auritae may be extinct on La Palma.

Prehistoric remains were assigned to the taxa G. goliath and G. maxima, the former supposedly occurring on several islands, the latter only on Tenerife. It was eventually determined, however, that G. maxima is a junior synonym of G. goliath, and that the latter was very close to G. simonyi; supposed G. goliath specimens from El Hierro, La Gomera, and La Palma are probably just extremely large individuals of, respectively, G. simonyi, G. bravoana, and G. auaritae (Barahona et al. 2000). However, a mummified giant specimen from Tenerife yielded ancient DNA remains, and by analysis of this, it was concluded that G. goliath is a valid species that probably was restricted to Tenerife, and apparently was closer to G. intermedia than to G. simonyi (Maca-Meyer et al. 2003).

Distribution of small, large, and giant species of Gallotia, going west to east.
Extant, not endangered = blue. Extant, critically endangered = purple. Extinct = red. Introduced = gray.
El HierroLa PalmaLa GomeraTenerifeGran CanariaFuerteventuraLanzarote
SmallG. caesarisG. gallotiG. caesarisG. gallotiG. atlanticaG. atlanticaG. atlantica
LargeG. intermedia
GiantG. simonyiG. auaritaeG. bravoanaG. goliathG. stehliniG. stehlini

Basal group

Western clade
Large species

Small species

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canary Islands</span> Spanish archipelago and region in the Atlantic Ocean

The Canary Islands, also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in Macaronesia in the Atlantic Ocean. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are 100 kilometres west of Morocco. They are the southernmost of the autonomous communities of Spain. The islands have a population of 2.2 million people and are the most populous special territory of the European Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Gomera giant lizard</span> Species of lizard

The La Gomera giant lizard is a lacertid species that can be found on the island of La Gomera, one of the Canary Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Hierro giant lizard</span> Subspecies of lizard

The El Hierro giant lizard is the only extant, critically endangered subspecies of Simony's giant lizard. It is endemic to El Hierro, the westernmost of the Canary Islands, where it is an official symbol.

The La Palma giant lizard is a large wall lizard endemic to the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands, currently extinct or critically endangered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simony's giant lizard</span> Species of lizard

Simony's giant lizard is a large species of wall lizard endemic to the island of El Hierro and nearby islet Roque Chico de Salmor in the Canary Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roque Chico de Salmor giant lizard</span> Extinct subspecies of lizard

The Roque Chico de Salmor giant lizard is the extinct nominate subspecies of Simony's giant lizard, which was endemic to the small islet Roque Chico de Salmor northwest of El Hierro, the westernmost of the Canary Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tenerife speckled lizard</span> Species of lizard

The Tenerife speckled lizard is a recently discovered lacertid endemic to Tenerife in the Canary Islands. It is the smallest member of the clade containing the western islands' giant species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boettger's lizard</span> Species of lizard

Boettger's lizard is a species of wall lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to the Canary Islands. There are two recognized subspecies.

<i>Gallotia galloti</i> Species of lizard

Gallotia galloti, also known commonly as Gallot's lizard, the Tenerife lizard, and the Western Canaries lizard, is a species of wall lizard in the genus Gallotia. The species is native to the Canary Islands of Tenerife and La Palma. Unlike most larger species of its genus, G. galloti is a commonly found animal. There are four recognized subspecies.

<i>Chalcides simonyi</i> Species of lizard

The Fuerteventura skink is a species of skink in the family Scincidae. Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae, a family in the infraorder Scincomorpha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Canary skink</span> Species of lizard

The West Canary skink, also known commonly as the Canaryan cylindrical skink, East Canary Islands skink, the Tenerife skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the Canary Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boettger's wall gecko</span> Species of lizard

Boettger's wall gecko, also commonly known as the Gran Canaria gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Phyllodactylidae. The species is native to the Canary Islands and the Savage Islands. There are three recognized subspecies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlantic lizard</span> Species of lizard

The Atlantic lizard is a species of lizards in the family Lacertidae. It is endemic to the eastern Canary Islands Lanzarote and Fuerteventura and the smaller islands surrounding them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gran Canaria giant lizard</span> Species of lizard

The Gran Canaria giant lizard is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is found in the Canary Islands.

<i>Gallotia goliath</i> Extinct species of lizard

Gallotia goliath is an extinct giant lizard species from the island of Tenerife of the Canary Islands, Spain. This reptile lived before the arrival of humans and is believed to have grown to at least 0.9 metres (3.0 ft) long. It was described by the German herpetologist Robert Mertens. Fossils of this lizard have been found in volcanic caves, where they often appear with those of other animals, like the Tenerife giant rat.

<i>Centrochelys burchardi</i> Extinct species of tortoise

The Tenerife giant tortoise is an extinct species of cryptodire turtle in the family Testudinidae endemic to the island of Tenerife, in the Canary Islands.

The Gran Canaria giant tortoise is an extinct species of cryptodire turtle in the family Testudinidae endemic to the island of Gran Canaria, in the Canary Islands.

References

Footnotes

  1. Gallotia atlantica at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database . Accessed 15 April 2014.
  2. Gallotia stehlini at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database . Accessed 18 June 2014.
  3. Gallotia simonyi at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database . Accessed 15 April 2014.
  4. Gallotia bravoana at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database . Accessed 18 June 2014.
  5. Gallotia auaritae at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database . Accessed 18 June 2014.
  6. Gallotia intermedia at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database . Accessed 18 June 2014.
  7. Gallotia caesaris at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database . Accessed 15 April 2014.
  8. Gallotia galloti at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database . Accessed 15 April 2014.