Varanus White, 1790

Conrad, J. L., 2008, Phylogeny And Systematics Of Squamata (Reptilia) Based On Morphology, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2008 (310), pp. 1-182 : 124

Varanus White, 1790

(figs. 54E, 55E, 56D)

DIAGNOSIS: The species of Varanus included in this study form a clade diagnosed as primitively possessing the following synapomorphies: 1(2) elongate antorbital snout, 12(2) nasal process of premaxilla narrowest mediolaterally, 17(1) presence of a premaxilla-maxilla aperture, 69(1) presence of a frontal-palatine contact, 74(1) presence of frontal tabs on the parietal dorsally, 118(2) absence of pterygoid teeth, and 243(2) fusion of the cervical intercentra to the posterior part of the preceding centrum.

COMMENTS: Extant Varanus (e.g., fig. 49) are extremely diverse morphologically and ecologically ( Mertens, 1942a; Irwin, 1994; Pianka, 1995; Ast, 2001, 2002; Pepin, 2001) and numerous monophyletic groups have been identified in separate morphological and molecular studies with a fair degree of consistency ( Fuller et al., 1998; Ast, 2001, 2002; Pepin, 2001). Although these clades are often considered ‘‘subgenera,’’ they are typically geographically and morphologically distinct and could be considered relatively speciose genera of their own. Although this issue is not further addressed here, it is a topic deserving more attention.

The current analysis is the first to analyze the relative phylogenetic positions of Varanus rusingensis and Megalania prisca with respect to numerous extant species. Both are within the extant Varanus radiation. Varanus rusingensis is nested within a basal clade of Varanus . ‘‘ Megalania ’’ prisca (hereafter referred to as Varanus priscum ) is actually a species of Varanus (as the name is applied here) and deeply nested within that clade. In this analysis, Varanus priscum is suggested to form a clade with V. salvadorii , with V. komodoensis (fig. 49A) as the sister-taxon to that clade.

The phylogenetic positions of the major Varanus clades will be further analyzed using morphology and incorporating more complete taxon sampling elsewhere.