Case 2814. Pseudoxyrhopus Günther, 1881 (Reptilia, Serpentes): proposed conservation

3 Pages·1992·0.96 MB·English

by  H M Smith

.
284 BulletinofZoologicalNomenclature49(4)December1992
Case2814
PseudoxyrhopmGiinther, 1881 (Reptilia, Serpentes): proposed
conservation
Hobart M. Smith
DepartmentofEnvironmental, PopulationandOrganismicBiology, University
ofColorado, Boulder. Colorado80309-0334, U.S.A.
KennethL. WilUams
DepartmentofLifeScience, NorthwesternState University, Natchitoches,
Louisiana 71497, U.S.A.
VanWallach
DepartmentofHerpetology MuseumofComparativeZoology, Harvard
,
University, Cambridge, Massachusetts02138, U.S.A.
DavidChiszar
DepartmentofPsychology, UniversityofColorado, Boulder,
Colorado80309-0345, U.S.A.
Abstract. The purpose ofthis application is to conserve the generic name Pseudoxy-
rhopus Giinther, 1881. The name is in current universal usage for a genus ofsnakes
from Madagascar but was originally published as an unnecessary replacement for
HomalocephalusJan, 1863,whichhasnotbeenusedforover 100years.
1 ThegenericnameHomalocephalusJan, 1863a(p.286)wasproposedforthesingle
new species H. heterurus Jan, 1863. The name was used by the author in two later
publications(Jan, 1863b, p. 52;Jan& SordeUi, 1866, pi. 4, fig. 2) but hasappeared in.
onlytwootherpublicationsintheprimaryUterature(Boettger, 1877,p.32;Hoffmann,
1886,p. 1679).
2. The taxonomic genus to which Jan (1863) applied the name Homalocephalus is
vaHd and has been recognized as suchconsistently. Giinther(1881, p. 359), however,
proposed a replacementname, Pseudoxyrhopus,explainingthat 'Jandescribed under
the name Homalocephalus a genus ofColubrine Snakes from Madagascar... whilst
admittingthesnakedescribedbyhimasthetypeofadistinctgenus,Iamcompelledto
changethename, whichispreoccupiedin Entomology'. Guntherdidnotmentionthe
insectnamebutitseemslikelythathewasreferringtoHomalocephalaZetterstedt, 1838
(col. 749) in the Diptera; there is no name Homalocephalus other than Jan's (1863).
Hoge(1958,p. 51)recordedPseudoxyrhopusasa'nomennovumproHomalocephalus
Jan 1863, non Zetterstedt 1838'. Williams & Wallach (1989, p. 125) noted that
Pseudoxyrhopuswasa'substitutenameforHomalocephalusJan;erroneouslybelieved
tobepreoccupiedbyHomalocephalaZetterstedt(1838)Diptera'.Theyalsonotedthat
the name Pseudoxyrhopus 'needs conservation'. The 1985 Code (as well as previous
)
BulletinofZoologicalNomenclature49(4)December1992 285
editions)states(Article56b)thatgenus-groupnamesdifferingbyoneletterarenot to
beregardedashomonyms.
3. Giinther (1881) established the new name microps for a second species of
Pseudoxyrhopus; thiswaserroneouslycited as the typespeciesofthegenusby Welch
(1982,p. 182).yjndcrAvUcXtdlhHomalocephalusheterurusian, 1863isthetypespecies
ofboth HomalocephalusandPseudoxyrhopus.
4. Compliancewiththeprincipleofprioritywouldrequiretheuseoftheseniorname
HomalocephalusJan, 1863. However, with the single exception ofHoffmann (1886),
Pseudoxyrhopus Giinther, 1881 has consistently been used in all works in which the
genus has been regarded asdistinct. There are eight nominal species in the genus, all
endemictoMadagascar(seeBrygoo. 1983,pp. 37,55).Anadditionalspecies,Xenodon
punctatusPeters, 1880.includedinthegenusbyBoulenger(1890,p. 314),Guibe(1959,
pp. 227-228) and Welch (1982, p. 182), has been shown (Hoge, 1958, pp. 49-52) to
belongintheunrelatedgenusSordellinaProcter, 1923 from Brazil.
5. AcursoryreviewoftheliteraturerevealsthatPseudoxyrhopusGiinther. 1881 has
been used as valid in at least 34 works by 30 authors since it was proposed. Recent
authorsincludeBellairs(1969,p. 540), Blanc(1971,pp. 122, 126), Brygoo(1987,pp.9,
12),Domergue(1969,pp. 16, 17,20),McDowell(1987,p.37),Romer(1956,p. 58)and
Underwood (1967). A list ofa further 20 references, additional to those cited in the
courseofthisapplication,isheldbytheCommissionSecretariat.Pseudoxryhopusisthe
type genus ofthe family-group (tribe or subfamily) pseudoxyrhopini or pseudoxy-
RHOPINAE Dowling, 1975 (p. 169) which includes nine genera (Dowling, 1986). The
family-groupnamehasappearedinfurtherpublications(Smith,Smith&Sawin, 1977,
p. 118andDowling,Highton, Maha&Maxson, 1983,p. 323).
6. The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature is accordingly
asked:
(1 touseitsplenarypowerstosuppressthegenericnameHomalocephalusJan, 1863
forthepurposesofthePrincipleofPrioritybutnotforthoseofthePrincipleof
Homonymy;
(2) to placeon theOfficial ListofGenericNamesin Zoology thename Pseudoxy-
rhopus Giinther, 1881 (gender: masculine), type species by monotypy of the
replaced nominal genus HomalocephalusJan, 1863, Homalocephalusheterurus
Jan, 1863;
(3) toplaceontheOfficialListofSpecificNamesinZoologythenameheterurusJan,
1863, aspublished in the binomen Homalocephalusheterurus(specific name of
thetypespeciesoiPseudoxyrhopusGunther, 1881);
(4) toplaceontheOfficialIndexofRejectedandInvalidGenericNamesinZoology
thenameHomalocephalusJan, 1863,assuppressedin(1)above.
References
Bellairs,A.d'A. 1969. Thelifeofreptiles,vol.2.Pp.283-590.Weidenfeld&Nicolson,London.
Blanc, C.P. 1971. Les reptiles de Madagascar et des iles voisines. Annates de I'Universite de
Madagascar,S:95-nS.
Boettger,0. 1877.DieReptilienundAmphibienvonMadagascar.Abhandlungenherausgegeben
vonderSenckenbergischenNaturforschendenGesellschaft,11: 1-56.
Boulenger,G.A. 1890. OntheOphidiangenusPseudoxyrhopus,Gthr. AnnalsandMagazineof
NaturalHistory,(6)6(34):311-314.
286 BulletinofZoologicalNomenclature49(4)December1992
Brygoo,E.R. 1983.LesophidiensdeMadagascar.MemoriasdoInstitutoButantan,46: 19-58.
Brygoo,E.R.1987.L'endemismedesreptilesdeMadagascar.BulletindelaSocieteZoologiquede
France,112(1-2):5-38.
Domergue,C.A. 1969.Clesimplifieepourladeterminationsurleterraindesserpentscommuns
deMadagascar.BulletindeI'AcademieMalagache,45(2): 13-26.
Dowling,H.G.1975.Aprovisionalclassificationofsnakes. YearbookofHerpetology,\: 167-170.
Dowling,H.G. 1986.ProdromusofanewclassificationofSerpentes.II(Arrangementofgenera).
22pp.Unpublishedms.
Dowling, H.G., Highton, R., Maha, G.C. & Maxson, L.R. 1983. Biochemical evaluation of
colubridsnakephylogeny.JournalofZoology,201:309-329.
Guibe,J. 1959.LesserpentsdeMadagascar.MemoiresdeI'InstitutScientifiquedeMadagascar,
(A)12: 189-260.
Giinther, A.C.L.G. 1881. Seventhcontribution to theknowledgeofthefaunaofMadagascar.
AnnalsandMagazineofNaturalHistory,(5)7(41):357-360.
Hoffmann, C.K. 1886. Reptilien. III. Schlangen und Entwicklungsgeschichte der Reptilien.
Pp. 1569-1680 in: H.G. Bronn's Klassen undOrdnungen des Thier-Reichs, vol. 6, part 3,
Lieferungen50-53.Winter,Leipzig.
Hoge,A.R. 1958.DiesystematischeStellungvonXenodonpunctatusPeters 1880undPhilodryas
taeniatusHensel 1868.MitteilungenausdemZoologischenMuseuminBerlin,34(1):49-56.
Jan, G. 1863a. Enumerazione sistematica degli ofidi appartenenti al gruppo Coronellidae.
ArchivioperlaZoologia,I'AnatomiaelaFisiologia,2(2):211-330.
Jan,G. 1863b.Elencosistematicadegliofididescrittiedisegnatiperriconografiagenerale.143pp.
Lombardi,Milan.
Jan, G. & Sordelli, F. 1866. Iconographie generale des ophidiens, vol. 1, Hvraison 17. 6 pis.
Bailliere,Paris.
McDowell,S.B. 1987.Systematics.Pp.3-50inSeigel,R.A.,Collins,J.T.&Novak,S.S.,Snakes:
ecologyandevolutionary biology,xiv,529pp.Macmillan,NewYork.
Romer,A.S. 1956.Osteologyofthereptiles.Illpp.UniversityofChicago,Chicago.
Smith, H.M., Smith, R.B. & Sawin, H.L. 1977. A summary ofsnake classification (Reptilia,
Serpentes).JournalofHerpetology,11(2): 115-121.
Underwood, G. 1967. A contribution to the classification ofsnakes, x, 179 pp. British Museum
(NaturalHistory),London.
Welch,K.R.G. 1982. HerpetologyofAfrica: achecklistandbibliographyoftheordersAmphis-
baenia,SauriaandSerpentes.x,293pp.Krieger,Malabar,Florida.
Williams,K.L.&Wallach,V. 1989.Snakesoftheworld,vol. 1(Synopsisofsnakegenericnames).
viii,234pp.Krieger,Malabar,Florida.
Zetterstedt,J.W. 1838. SectioTertia(Diptera).Conspectusfamiliarumetgenerumdipterorum
Lapponiae.Cols.496-868in:InsectaLapponicadescripta.Voss,Lipsiae.