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A Concoction Pipeline for Generating Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) Among Riparian and Aquatic Beetles
Published on: July 11, 2025
Relict snakes of North America and their relationships within Caenophidia, using likelihood-based Bayesian methods on
Theodora Pinou1, Saverio Vicario, Monique Marschner
1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, USA. theodora.pinou@yale.edu
Abstract:
This paper focuses on the phylogenetic relationships of eight North American caenophidian snake species (Carphophis amoena, Contia tenuis, Diadophis punctatus, Farancia abacura, Farancia erytrogramma, Heterodon nasicus, Heterodon platyrhinos, and Heterodon simus) whose phylogenetic relationships remain controversial. Past studies have referred to these "relict" North American snakes either as colubrid, or as Neotropical dipsadids and/or xenodontids. Based on mitochondrial DNA ribosomal gene sequences and a likelihood-based Bayesian analysis, our study suggests that these North American snakes are not monophyletic and are nested within a group (Dipsadoidea) that contains the Dipsadidae, Xenodontidae, and Natricidae. In addition, we use the relationships proposed here to highlight putative examples of parallel evolution of hemipenial morphology among snake clades.
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