Latest news with #AmitSayyed
Time of India
2 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Researchers discover new species of diurnal gecko in Assam
1 2 3 Guwahati: A new species of diurnal (day-active) gecko, measuring between 30.8 to 35.7 mm from snout to vent, has been discovered in Assam . The species has been named 'Cnemaspis Brahmaputra' in homage to the Brahmaputra river, enriching India's reptilian diversity. The discovery was detailed in the scientific journal Taprobanica: The Journal of Asian Biodiversity by a team of researchers, including Amit Sayyed, Madhurima Das, AA Thasun Amarasinghe, Rupankar Bhattacharjee and herpetologist Jayaditya Purkayastha. Purkayastha said the new species belonged to the Cnemaspis Podihuna clade, a group of small, diurnal geckos previously believed to be largely restricted to Sri Lanka. "Its discovery in Assam strengthens the evidence for an ancient biogeographic link between Sri Lanka and the northeast, reflecting historical faunal exchanges across the Indian subcontinent. The species is genetically and morphologically distinct from its Sri Lankan relatives, showing significant evolutionary divergence," Purkayastha said. The discovery marks 'Cnemaspis Brahmaputra' as only the second species of the genus 'Cnemaspis' known from the northeast, the first being 'Cnemaspis Assamensis', described in 2000. Both species are members of the podihuna clade and are confined to the Brahmaputra river valley. However, they are found on opposite banks of the river and exhibit substantial genetic differences. The new species differs from 'Cnemaspis Assamensis' by about 6.0 to 7.2%, while showing a more pronounced divergence of 21.2 to 24.8% from its related species in Sri Lanka, based on differences in their ND2 genes. Purkayastha said the gecko was spotted on the premises of the Dirgheswari temple, located on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Science
- The Hindu
New gecko species from Assam named after Brahmaputra
GUWAHATI A new species of diurnal gecko recorded from Assam has been named after the Brahmaputra River. Unlike most lizards of its kind found across the northeastern part of India, the Cnemaspis brahmaputra found at Dirgheswari Temple on the northern bank of the river facing Guwahati is non-nocturnal. The species has been described in the latest issue of Taprobanica: The Journal of Asian Biodiversity. The authors are Amit Sayyed of the Maharashtra-based Wildlife Protection and Research Society, A.A. Thasun Amarasinghe of Indonesia's Research Centre for Biosystematics and Evolution, Madhurima Das and Rupankar Bhattacharjee of Assam Don Bosco University's Department of Zoology, and Jayaditya Purkayastha of Help Earth, a biodiversity organisation specialising in reptiles. The new species belongs to the Cnemaspis podihuna clade, a group of small, diurnal geckos previously thought to be largely restricted to Sri Lanka. Its discovery in Assam strengthens the evidence for an ancient biogeographic link between Sri Lanka and India's northeast, reflecting historical faunal exchanges across the Indian subcontinent. The new species is genetically and morphologically distinct from its Sri Lankan relatives, showing significant evolutionary divergence. It is distinguished by its larger body size but with fewer mid-body scale rows, more ventral scale rows across the belly, no tubercles on lower flanks, and three enlarged rows of thigh scales parallel to the enlarged femoral scale row. Cnemaspis brahmaputra is the second species of the genus Cnemaspis known from the northeastern region. The first, Cnemaspis assamensis, was described in 2000. Both species are members of the podihuna clade and are restricted to the Brahmaputra River valley. They occur on opposite banks of the river and have significant genetic differences. 'We decided to name the new species of gecko after the Brahmaputra, as it is a major ecological and cultural artery of northeast India. The river has played a crucial role in shaping the region's biodiversity, serving as both a geographic barrier and a corridor for evolutionary processes,' Mr. Purkayastha of Help Earth said.
