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Redescription and Neotype Designation Of. Pelochelys Bibroni from Southern New Guinea (Testudines: Trionychidae) Ronnnr G

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Redescription and Neotype Designation Of. Pelochelys Bibroni from Southern New Guinea (Testudines: Trionychidae) Ronnnr G 'n^'"'3','#:;itf:,ililX,Jlllf i;''i3;lJiil,i'' Redescription and Neotype Designation of. Pelochelys bibroni from Southern New Guinea (Testudines: Trionychidae) Ronnnr G. Wrnnr llaboratory for Environmental Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Urtiversi4' of Te-ras at El Paso, EI Paso, Texas 79968-0519 USA [Fax: 915-747-5808; E-mail: [email protected]] AssrRAcr. - The type material of Pelochelys bibroni is no longer in existence, and the type locality ("Australian") is possibly in error. Pelochelys bibroni is one of the most wide-ranging of freshwater turtles, distributed from India to China and to New Guinea. Up to the present it has been treated as a single species. However, since geographic variation is recognizable (at least populations of Pel,ochelys in southern New Guinea are distinctive), it is prudent to designate a name-bearing type specimen. A neotype designation restricts the name P. bibroni to the distinctive population in southern New Guinea, geographically the closest to the alleged original type locality. All other populations of Pel,ochelys, including mainland Asiatic forms, are referred to P. cantorii Gray' 1864' pending further study. Pelochelys bibroni is redescribed and compared with the population of P. cantorii in northern New Guinea. Kny Wonns. - Reptilia; Testudines; Trionychidae; Pelochelys bibroni; Pelochelys cantoriii Chitra; turtlel taxonomyl neotype description; geographic variationl Indonesial Papua New Guinea The Asiatic giant softshell turtle,, Pelochelys bibroni restrict its type locality. As described below, the original (sensu lato), is widely distributed in southeastern Asia from type material of P. bibroni rs lost and its original type India to southern China (including Hainan). the Philippines. locality possibly in error. south through Thailand and Vietnam into Malaysia. \ 'estern Indonesia (including Java and Borneo). and New Guinea Original Holotype of Pelochelys bibroni (Iverson,1992; Rhodin et al., 1993). The populations in New' Guinea, 2s currently understood, are apparently isolated The ori-einal description of Pelocltel_t's bibroni (as with no documented localities in the Indonesian archipela-eo Triontr (Glnutopus) bibroni Owen. 1853) was based on a between Borneo and New Guinea. Only one living species skull and other skeletal parts (numbers 954-959 and 1093- of Pelochelys (P. bibroni) is currently recogntzed.I concur 1094) of one specimen that is considered the holotype. The with Farkas (1992) who regarded the recently described P. specimen was housed with the osteological collections in the taihuensis (Zhang, 1984), based on living and subfossil Hunterian Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons of material from Zhejiang Province, China, as a synonym of England (RCS).Elizabeth Allen (RCS, Hunterian Museum, Rafetus swinhoei. in litt.) related that many of the RCS specimens, especially Pelochelys bibroni occurs in the rivers and associated in the osteological series, were destroyed in I94l during the lakes of both southern and northern New Guinea. These bombing of London in World War II, that some surviving populations are largely separated by the east-west trending comparative anatomy and osteological specimens were trans- Central Highlands, but they may meet in the isthmus area ferred to the British Museum of Natural History (BMNH) in south of Geelvink Bay in western Irian Jaya. Recent study of the late 1940s and 1950s, and that she is "fairly certain the New Guinea P elochely s indicates substantial morphological chelonid types did not survive." Anders G.J. Rhodtn Qters. differentiation between the northern and southern popula- comm.), who visited both the Hunterian Museum and the tions. Rhodin et al. (1993) reviewed and supplemented BMNH in London in March 1995, made a special but information on the distribution of Pelochelys in Papua New unsuccessful effort to search out the missing holotype. The Guinea, described the differences in color pattern between holotype of P. bibroni is thus apparently no longer in the northern and southern populations, and suggested that existence. the two forms differed taxonomically. The relationships of Owen (1853) provided no figure and reported no origi- the two New Guinea taxa to Asiatic mainland populations nal measurements of the holotype, but Baur ( 1891) subse- are under study by the author; the dataare not yet sufficient quently recorded some measurements of its skull: preorbital to waffant definitive taxonomic conclusions but indicate arch (from nasal opening to orbit), 7.5 mm; interorbital arch, significant differences between some populations. For pur- 11 mm; and postorbital arch, 14 mm. The skull of the poses of this report only the New Guinea populations are holotype of P. bibroni rs estimated to have had an approxi- treated in any detail. In view of this geographic variation, mate basicranial length of I5 mm (extrapolated from data for it is necessary to allocate the name Pelochelys bibroni other Pelochelys skulls). Descriptive comments confirm its (sensu stricto) to a specific geographic population and to identification as a specimen of Pelochelys, as currently :'-'l CHElotttnN CoNSERVATIoN AND BroLocy, Volume I, Number 4 - 1995 understood. Smith's (1930) comparison of the type of Ellesmere ( 1854) noted that Home died at Sydney and P e l ocltel1's cantorii Gray, 1864(stuffed, plastral leng th, 2I5 mentioned "services he had rendered to the colony while mm. with skull removed, basicranial length, 55.5 ffiffi, from stationed in its waters." The original type locality of "Aus- the Asiatic mainland), with Owen's type of P. bibroni (skull tralian," coupled with Home's activities in Australia in his and bony carapace "of a somewhat larger individual") did later years, provides at least circumstantial evidence that the not elicit any differential comments, and he regarded the two holotype may have indeed come from Australia, or from taxa as synonymous. nearby New Guinea, as suggested by Bourret (1941 : "mais devent venir plutdt de Nouvelle-Guin6e"). Gray (1864, Original Type Locality of Pelochelys bibroni 1870) stated that "it is not unlikely that the specimen [holo- typel was obtained from Singapore," a possibility not sup- The type locality of Pelochelvs bibroni was originally ported by any data. described as "Australian" (Owen, 1853:185). Although of Since the holotype of P. bibroni is no longer in existence possible occurrence in northern Australia, owing to the well- and its history suggests that its provenance may have been known estuarine and occasional marine habits of Pelochelys either northern Australia or nearby southern New Guinea, (Rhodin et al., 1993), the species is as yet unrecorded there. the neotype designation below restricts the type locality to The scant fossil trionychid material from Australia is not southern New Guinea. referable to Pelochelys (Gaffney and Bartholomai, 1979), although definitive generic allocation remains uncertain Neotype Designation (Gaffney, 199 I ). and Type Locality Restriction The holotype of P. bibroni was received by rhe Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) from Captain Sir James Everard Pelochelys bibroni (Owen, 1853) Home (1798-1854). He was the son of Sir Everard Home Bibron's Giant Softshell Turtle (17 56-1832),a prominent surgeon and pupil of John Hunter. Home, as a captain in the Royal Navy, commanded the HMS NeoQpe. - A large adult female from the Laloki River, Racehorse and toured coastal waters of North America, the Astrolabe Ran ge, 40 miles [ca. 65 km] from its entry into West Indies, and South America in the years 1834-1837, Redscar Bay (9"20'5 , 147" I4'E), Central District, Papua and was in China (Shanghai River) in July 1842 (Chinese New Guinea, consisting of AMS 3425, stuffed; AMS 3426, specimens were sent by Home to the RCS in 1844). The RCS viscera, including ovaries and eggs in fluid; and AMS records do not indicate Home having been in Australia (E. 131315 (recatalogued), skull with lower ja* and hyoid Allen, in litt.). However, in Home's obituary, the Earl of apparatus. The neotype, the first Peloclte\ts reported in the Figure 1. Neotype.of Peloche,lys bibroni,Laloki River, Central District, PapuaNew Guinea. Dorsal and ventral views of AMS 3425, stuffed adult f'emale (total carapace length, curvature, about 600 mm, photographs by A.G.J. Rhodin). WEee Redescription of Pelochel1,5 bibroni 303 - The skull (AMS 13 13 l5 ) (Fi_e. 21. which also bears the original number S.888 (- old skeletal collection), has a basicranial len-eth of 133.J mm and is discussed below in more detail. Description of Restricted Pelocltelys bibroni External Features Jr-rvenile teatr"rres of pattern and tuberculation are based on AN,{S 1+5 5 8 t color photo_eraphs). BMNH 1911.11.1.9. MCZ 11035+. and UF -19-125. Adult patterns are based on specimens of n'hich color photo_uraphs are available but which are not represented b1 r'oucher specimens. All specimens are trom sollthern \eu' Guinea. Measurements of the carapace are marimal along the cun'a- ture of the entire leatherv carapace. Juveniles of P. bibrorti are patternless u'ith a rough- textured, tuberculate carapace. u hereas adults are brightl1, patterned with yellow neck stripes and a snrooth carapace Figure 2. Neotype of with yellow markings. Pelochelys bibroni. Dorsal, ventral, and close-up views of Hatchlings and small turtles probablr are r"rniformly skull (AMS l3 l3 l5) of same pale brown, since the smallest specinten (\lCZ 12035"t. animal as Fig. (basicranial I carapace len_eth 83 mm. plastral length O mm ) has a length, 133 mm). uniformly brorn'nish carapace. e\cept for sone pale mAr- -einal spots posteriorlr and tu'o dark blotches at the rear of the literature from New Guinea (Waite, 1903). is the only head. A sli,ehtl1 larger specimen (B\l\H l9l l. I I . 1.9. cara- preserved large adult of P. bibroni (sensu stricto) knou'n to pace length 105 mrr.plastral length 77 nrm.Fig.3tis overall me. Waite ( 1903) noted the circumstances of capture on 3 brou'nish but shon s the adr ent of the adult pattern.
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