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Aspidoscelis

Aspidoscelis is a genus of whiptail lizards in the family Teiidae.

Taxonomy
The nomenclature for the genus Aspidoscelis was published by T.W. Reeder et al. in 2002. Many species that were formerly included in the genus Cnemidophorus are now considered Aspidoscelis based upon divergent characters between the two groups. ==Etymology==
Etymology
The name Aspidoscelis literally means "shield-leg", from the Ancient Greek wikt:ἀσπίς| ("shield") and wikt:σκέλος| ("leg"). ==Species==
Species
The following species are recognized as being valid. • Aspidoscelis angusticeps – Yucatán whiptail • Aspidoscelis arizonae – Arizona striped whiptail • Aspidoscelis burti – canyon spotted whiptail • Aspidoscelis calidipes – Tepalcatepec Valley whiptail • Aspidoscelis carmenensis – Carmen Island whiptail • Aspidoscelis ceralbensis – Cerralvo Island whiptail • Aspidoscelis communis – Colima giant whiptail • Aspidoscelis costatus – western Mexico whiptail lizard • Aspidoscelis cozumela – Cozumel racerunner • Aspidoscelis danheimae – Isla San José whiptail • Aspidoscelis deppii – blackbelly racerunner • Aspidoscelis dixoni – gray checkered whiptail • Aspidoscelis espiritensis – Espiritu Santo whiptail • Aspidoscelis exsanguis – Chihuahuan spotted whiptail • Aspidoscelis franciscensis – San Francisco Island whiptail • Aspidoscelis gularis – Texas spotted whiptail • Aspidoscelis guttatus – Mexican racerunner • Aspidoscelis hyperythrus – orange-throated whiptail • Aspidoscelis inornatus – little striped whiptail • Aspidoscelis labialis – Baja California whiptail • Aspidoscelis laredoensis – Laredo striped whiptail • Aspidoscelis lineattissimus – many-lined whiptail • Aspidoscelis marmoratus – marbled whiptail • Aspidoscelis martyris – San Pedro Martir whiptail • Aspidoscelis maslini – Maslin's whiptail • Aspidoscelis maximus – Cape Region whiptail • Aspidoscelis mexicanus – Mexican whiptail • Aspidoscelis motaguae – giant whiptail • Aspidoscelis neomexicanus – New Mexico whiptail • Aspidoscelis neotesselatus – Colorado checkered whiptail, triploid checkered whiptail • Aspidoscelis opatae – Opata whiptail • Aspidoscelis pai – Pai striped whiptail • Aspidoscelis parvisocius – Mexican pigmy whiptail • Aspidoscelis pictus – Isla Monserrate whiptail • Aspidoscelis preopataeAspidoscelis rodecki – Rodeck's whiptail • Aspidoscelis sackii – Sack's spotted whiptail • Aspidoscelis scalaris – rusty-rumped whiptail • Aspidoscelis septemvittatus – plateau spotted whiptail • Aspidoscelis sexlineatus – six-lined racerunner • Aspidoscelis sonorae – Sonoran spotted whiptail • Aspidoscelis stictogrammus – giant spotted whiptail • Aspidoscelis tesselatus – common checkered whiptail • Aspidoscelis tigris – western whiptail • Aspidoscelis uniparens – desert grassland whiptail lizard • Aspidoscelis velox – plateau striped whiptail • Aspidoscelis xanthonotus – red-backed whiptail Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Aspidoscelis. ==Speciation==
Speciation
In 2011, it was announced that a parthenogenetic hybrid Aspidocelis was bred in the laboratory. This serves as a demonstration of how other hybrid parthenogens in this genus may have arisen. == Parthenogenesis and unisexual species ==
Parthenogenesis and unisexual species
Thirteen species within Aspidoscelis are unisexual, consisting entirely of females that reproduce through parthenogenesis—cloning unfertilized eggs to produce genetically identical offspring. These species originated through hybridization between divergent bisexual ancestral species, with the transition to asexual reproduction occurring in a single generation. This represents the largest group of unisexual vertebrate species known to science. The unisexual species exhibit varying chromosome numbers reflecting their hybrid origins. Diploid species formed through "primary hybrid speciation" when first-generation female hybrids of two distinct bisexual species began reproducing parthenogenetically. Triploid and tetraploid species arose through "genome addition," when cloned eggs of unisexual females were fertilized by males of bisexual species, resulting in offspring with additional chromosome sets. This finding supports the balance hypothesis (that a "sweet spot" of divergence is needed for two distinct species to create parthenogenetic lineages– too little divergence results in introgression, and too much results in offspring infertility or inviability). ==References==
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