Liotyphlops albirostris (Peters, 1857)

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 : 107-108

Liotyphlops albirostris + Typhlops lineolatus

(figs. 54C, 55C, 56B)

DIAGNOSIS: Liotyphlops albirostris and Typhlops lineolatus (representatives of Anomalepidae and Typhlopidae , respectively, in this analysis) are joined by three unambiguous synapomorphies. These are 28(3) extremely foreshortened maxilla, 111(2) palatine deeper than long, and 112(1) vomer much longer than the palatine.

COMMENTS: The current analysis finds support for Scolecophidia in a majority of the principle trees, but it is not supported in the strict nor the Adams consensus (figs. 54 and 55, respectively). In this analysis, Leptotyphlops goudottii , the only other putative scolecophidian included in this analysis, is recovered as the sister-taxon to a clade composed of Liotyphlops albirostris and Typhlops lineolatus , as the sister taxon to all other snakes, or as the sister taxon to a clade containing Alethinophidia, Dinilysia patagonica , Pachyophis woodwardi , and Wonambi naracoortensis . Future analyses (with more inclusive taxon and character sampling) will more completely address this issue.

Note that McDowell and Bogert (1954) challenged the idea that typhlopids and anomalepids are snakes and suggested that they are anguids. This hypothesis was never widely accepted and no subsequent study has recovered non-holophyly of snakes. Snake holophyly is analyzed and supported by this analysis.