Plethodon jacksoni Newman 1954

Felix, Zachary I., Wooten, Jessica A., Pierson, Todd W. & Camp, Carlos D., 2019, Re-evaluation of the Wehrle’s salamander (Plethodon wehrlei Fowler and Dunn) species group (Caudata: Plethodontidae) using genomic data, with the description of a new species, Zootaxa 4609 (3), pp. 429-448 : 439

Plethodon jacksoni Newman 1954

English name: Blacksburg salamander, Conant et al. 1956

Plethodon wehrlei jacksoni, Cochran 1961

Plethodon wehrlei (part), Highton 1962

Holotype: NMNH 134498

Type locality: Trillium Vale, Montgomery County, Virginia

Remarks: This form was originally described by Newman (1954) based on morphology. It was later synonymized with P. wehrlei by Highton (1962). Highton et al. (2012) first suggested the genetic distinctiveness of the P. wehrlei populations of southwestern Virginia from other, purportedly conspecific populations to the north. Kuchta et al. (2018) demonstrated the distinctiveness of populations of P. wehrlei from southwestern Virginia and northwestern North Carolina (including specimens from near the type locality of P. jacksoni ) from other populations within the P. wehrlei group. They also uncovered considerable genetic variation within this group, although they could not resolve relationships among all the included populations. Our results also indicated considerable genetic structure among populations. Our sampling was limited in geographic scope, and we did not have enough specimens for robust genetic or morphometric analyses of variation. Therefore, we recommend that the group not be further split unless and until such analyses can demonstrate the distinction of any potential lineages that might be included. Because specimens from the type locality of P. jacksoni belong to this group, we recommend the resurrection of the species P. jacksoni to represent clades referred to as jacksoni , southern wehrlei , and, tentatively, “Population 29” as described in Kuchta et al. (2018). This includes all the southern populations occupying southwestern Virginia and northwestern North Carolina exclusive of those referable to P. dixi .