A new species of chameleon (Sauria: Chamaeleonidae: Kinyongia) from the northern Albertine Rift, Central Africa

Eli Greenbaum; Krystal A. Tolley; Abdulmeneem Joma; Chifundera Kusamba

doi:10.1655/HERPETOLOGICA-D-11-00026.1

A new species of chameleon (Sauria: Chamaeleonidae: Kinyongia) from the northern Albertine Rift, Central Africa

Eli Greenbaum, Krystal A. Tolley, Abdulmeneem Joma, Chifundera Kusamba

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

22 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The recently erected chameleon genus Kinyongia currently includes 17 species, with the majority of this diversity occurring in montane regions of East Africa. Kinyongia adolfifriderici is one of only three species in the genus to occur in Central Africa, with numerous populations occurring from low- to high-elevation forests of the Albertine Rift. Recent fieldwork in the Lendu Plateau in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) led to the discovery of a population of chameleons that is significantly larger than and morphologically distinct from the closely related species K. adolfifriderici, which was described from the lowland Ituri forest, DRC. Analyses of mitochondrial (16S and ND2) and nuclear (RAG1) DNA sequence data revealed that K. adolfifriderici is a complex of cryptic species. Herein, we describe the Lendu population as a new species, underscoring the endemism and conservation importance of this poorly known, unprotected montane region.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	60-75
Number of pages	16
Journal	Herpetologica
Volume	68
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1655/HERPETOLOGICA-D-11-00026.1
Publication status	Published - Mar 2012
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Democratic Republic of the Congo
Endemism
Lendu Plateau
Reptilia

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Animal Science and Zoology

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1655/HERPETOLOGICA-D-11-00026.1

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title = "A new species of chameleon (Sauria: Chamaeleonidae: Kinyongia) from the northern Albertine Rift, Central Africa",

abstract = "The recently erected chameleon genus Kinyongia currently includes 17 species, with the majority of this diversity occurring in montane regions of East Africa. Kinyongia adolfifriderici is one of only three species in the genus to occur in Central Africa, with numerous populations occurring from low- to high-elevation forests of the Albertine Rift. Recent fieldwork in the Lendu Plateau in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) led to the discovery of a population of chameleons that is significantly larger than and morphologically distinct from the closely related species K. adolfifriderici, which was described from the lowland Ituri forest, DRC. Analyses of mitochondrial (16S and ND2) and nuclear (RAG1) DNA sequence data revealed that K. adolfifriderici is a complex of cryptic species. Herein, we describe the Lendu population as a new species, underscoring the endemism and conservation importance of this poorly known, unprotected montane region.",

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author = "Eli Greenbaum and Tolley, \{Krystal A.\} and Abdulmeneem Joma and Chifundera Kusamba",

year = "2012",

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doi = "10.1655/HERPETOLOGICA-D-11-00026.1",

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AU - Greenbaum, Eli

AU - Tolley, Krystal A.

AU - Joma, Abdulmeneem

AU - Kusamba, Chifundera

PY - 2012/3

Y1 - 2012/3

N2 - The recently erected chameleon genus Kinyongia currently includes 17 species, with the majority of this diversity occurring in montane regions of East Africa. Kinyongia adolfifriderici is one of only three species in the genus to occur in Central Africa, with numerous populations occurring from low- to high-elevation forests of the Albertine Rift. Recent fieldwork in the Lendu Plateau in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) led to the discovery of a population of chameleons that is significantly larger than and morphologically distinct from the closely related species K. adolfifriderici, which was described from the lowland Ituri forest, DRC. Analyses of mitochondrial (16S and ND2) and nuclear (RAG1) DNA sequence data revealed that K. adolfifriderici is a complex of cryptic species. Herein, we describe the Lendu population as a new species, underscoring the endemism and conservation importance of this poorly known, unprotected montane region.

AB - The recently erected chameleon genus Kinyongia currently includes 17 species, with the majority of this diversity occurring in montane regions of East Africa. Kinyongia adolfifriderici is one of only three species in the genus to occur in Central Africa, with numerous populations occurring from low- to high-elevation forests of the Albertine Rift. Recent fieldwork in the Lendu Plateau in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) led to the discovery of a population of chameleons that is significantly larger than and morphologically distinct from the closely related species K. adolfifriderici, which was described from the lowland Ituri forest, DRC. Analyses of mitochondrial (16S and ND2) and nuclear (RAG1) DNA sequence data revealed that K. adolfifriderici is a complex of cryptic species. Herein, we describe the Lendu population as a new species, underscoring the endemism and conservation importance of this poorly known, unprotected montane region.

KW - Democratic Republic of the Congo

KW - Endemism

KW - Lendu Plateau

KW - Reptilia

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U2 - 10.1655/HERPETOLOGICA-D-11-00026.1

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M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84856667371

SN - 0018-0831

VL - 68

SP - 60

EP - 75

JO - Herpetologica

JF - Herpetologica

IS - 1

ER -

A new species of chameleon (Sauria: Chamaeleonidae: Kinyongia) from the northern Albertine Rift, Central Africa

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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