Michael J Jowers, Utpal Smart, Santiago Sánchez-Ramírez, John C Murphy, Aarón Gómez, Renan J Bosque, Goutam C Sarker, Brice P Noonan, J Filipe Faria, D James Harris, Nelson Jorge da Silva, Ana L C Prudente, John Weber, Philippe J R Kok, Gilson A Rivas, Robert C Jadin, Mahmood Sasa, Antonio Muñoz-Mérida, Gregorio Moreno-Rueda, Eric N Smith
Coralsnakes of the genus Micrurus are a diverse group of venomous snakes ranging from the southern United States to southern South America. Much uncertainty remains over the genus diversity, and understanding Micrurus systematics is of medical importance. In particular, the widespread Micrurus nigrocinctus spans from Mexico throughout Central America and into Colombia, with a number of described subspecies. This study provides new insights into the phylogenetic relationships within M. nigrocinctus by examining sequence data from a broad sampling of specimens from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama...
July 19, 2023: Scientific Reports