Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have removed confusion over the Persian long-tailed desert lizard, 153 years after it was first described from Sindh in present-day Pakistan.
This desert lizard, known as Mesalina watsonana zoologically, was described as Eremias (Mesalina) watsonana by Ferdinand Stolickza, a Nineteenth-century naturalist, in 1872 based mostly on 5 specimens from the proper financial institution of the Indus River between Karachi and Sakkar. He deposited one of many 5 specimens on the ZSI in Kolkata.
Distributed throughout Afghanistan, India, Iran, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan, this species inhabits the foothills, sand dunes, and sandy plains with poor vegetation.
Mesalina watsonana has been a key species within the examine of desert lizard range throughout South and Central Asia. However, confusion over its syntypes (specimens used to outline a species when no single ‘type’ specimen was chosen) unfold throughout museums in Kolkata, London, and Vienna posed a problem to researchers.
ZSI scientists Sumidh Ray and Pratyush P. Mohapatra designated ZSI-R-5050, the syntype Stolickza had deposited, because the definitive lectotype to function a single kind specimen. Their taxonomical feat, achieved by analysing historic information and adhering to trendy zoological nomenclature codes, was revealed within the newest difficulty of Zootaxa, a peer-reviewed journal.
Beyond the taxonomic significance, the lectotype designation highlights the scientific worth of Stolickza’s Persian and Sindh collections housed on the ZSI. These specimens, a part of expeditions led below the British Geological Survey of India, characterize a number of the earliest systematic herpetofaunal documentation within the Indian subcontinent and neighbouring areas.
“Stoliczka’s material is foundational. The ZSI holds many of his type specimens that remain central to reptile taxonomy in South and Central Asia. Validating and anchoring these names is not just about scientific clarity, but also about honouring a legacy of discovery,” Dhriti Banerjee, the Director of ZSI, stated on Monday (May 19, 2025).
While underscoring the position of historic collections in trendy taxonomy, the lectotype designation is anticipated to strengthen future analysis on species complexes inside Mesalina.
Published – May 22, 2025 05:00 am IST
