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Issue: Vol. 5792 No. 3: 14 Apr. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-04-14
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5792.3.2
Page range: 457-493
Abstract views: 441
PDF downloaded: 225

Phylogenomics, taxonomy and conservation of the White’s skink (Scincidae: Liopholis whitii) species complex in south-eastern Australia

Australian Museum Research Institute; Australian Museum; Sydney NSW; Australia
Cygnet Surveys & Consultancy; St Ives NSW; Australia
Landscape Ecologist/Botanist; Broken Hill NSW; Australia
National Parks & Wildlife Service; Mutawintji National Park NSW; Australia; Wiimpatja Aboriginal Owners of Mutawintji National Park NSW; Australia
Wiimpatja Aboriginal Owners of Mutawintji National Park NSW; Australia
Wiimpatja Aboriginal Owners of Mutawintji National Park NSW; Australia
Wiimpatja Aboriginal Owners of Mutawintji National Park NSW; Australia
Australian Museum Research Institute; Australian Museum; Sydney NSW; Australia
Monash University; School of Biological Sciences; Clayton VIC; Australia
Monash University; School of Biological Sciences; Clayton VIC; Australia
FaunaTrack; Denmark WA; Australia
School of Natural Sciences; University of Tasmania; Hobart TAS; Australia
South Australian Museum; Adelaide SA; Australia
Australian Museum Research Institute; Australian Museum; Sydney NSW; Australia
Australian Museum Research Institute; Australian Museum; Sydney NSW; Australia
Australian Museum Research Institute; Australian Museum; Sydney NSW; Australia; Sydney School of Veterinary Science; University of Sydney; Sydney NSW; Australia
Australian Museum Research Institute; Australian Museum; Sydney NSW; Australia; South Australian Museum; Adelaide SA; Australia
Monash University; School of Biological Sciences; Clayton VIC; Australia
Australian Museum Research Institute; Australian Museum; Sydney NSW; Australia; Centre for Ecosystem Science; School of Earth and Environmental Science; University of New South Wales; Sydney NSW; Australia
Reptilia Liopholis whitii Liopholis compressicauda Liopholis mutawintji

Abstract

White’s Skinks, Liopholis whitii (Lacépède 1804) are widely distributed throughout rocky habitats of temperate south-eastern Australia, with a highly disjunct population occurring in Mutawintji National Park in arid far western New South Wales. Based on an analysis of genome-wide nuclear single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and an assessment of variation in morphology, we provide an appraisal of the group’s evolutionary history and re-evaluate the taxonomic status of candidate lineages. We reveal the presence of three major genetic lineages, including two lineages from temperate south-eastern Australia, and another representing the isolated arid population from Mutawintji National Park. We herein apply the name Liopholis whitii to the temperate “southern” lineage which occurs in South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania; resurrect the name Liopholis compressicauda (Quoy & Gaimard 1824) for the temperate “northern” lineage from southern Queensland, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory and north-eastern Victoria; and describe the arid lineage from Mutawintji National Park as Liopholis mutawintji sp. nov. Liopholis mutawintji sp. nov. is of particular conservation concern and likely eligible for listing as Critically Endangered under multiple IUCN Red List Criteria.

 

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How to Cite

Parkin, T., Swan, G., Marshall, L., Bates, K.G., Mckellar, R.H.-., Thompson, N., Thompson, W., Parkin, B., Haines, M.L., Farquhar, J.E., Lloyd, R., While, G.M., Foster, R., Eldridge, M.D.B., Trembath, D., Shea, G.M., Donnellan, S.C., Chapple, D.G. & Rowley, J.J.L. (2026) Phylogenomics, taxonomy and conservation of the White’s skink (Scincidae: Liopholis whitii) species complex in south-eastern Australia. Zootaxa, 5792 (3), 457–493. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5792.3.2