Phrynosoma taurus Bocourt 1870

Flores-Villela, Oscar, Ríos-Muñoz, César A., Magaña-Cota, Gloria E. & Quezadas-Tapia, Néstor L., 2016, Alfredo Dugès’ type specimens of amphibians and reptiles revisited, Zootaxa 4092 (1) : 48-50

Phrynosoma taurus Bocourt 1870

This taxon was originally mentioned by Dugès (1869), in a list of vertebrates observed in the Republic of Mexico. Then it was illustrated and described in the “Mission Scientifique” (Bocourt, (1870), Pl. 12, figs. 8a– 8g; (1874), pp. 234-235) with credit for the name given to Dugès (1869) and a manuscript by Dugès dated 1868. A redescription of the species was published by Dugès (1873) in “La Naturaleza”, although the published version bears the date November 23, 1870 as correctly stated by Smith & Taylor (1950). See also Smith (1942) for publication dates of “La Naturaleza”. Bocourt (1874:234–235), published a description of this taxon, with a footnote (page 234) mentioning a manuscript written by Dugès in 1868; Dugès (1869) listing the name; and making reference, in an endnote, to a monograph of the group being published by Aug. Duméril. Bocourt’s (1874) description mentioned nine specimens (syntypes), two adults and the rest juveniles, obtained by Boucard from “…sur le plateau de Puebla au bien à Matamoros Izucar ( Mexique).” (on the plateau of Puebla or in Matamoros Izucar ( Mexico), at the Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris (MNHN 1270, 1915, 1915A, 1915B, 1916, 1310, 1310A, 1310B, 1310C, fide Brygoo, 1989). Bocourt (1874) also noted that Dr. Dugès had another adult specimen from Coscatlan (Coxcatlán, Puebla, Mexico).

It seems pertinent to report the accidental history of the authorship and publication date for this species. After the publications mentioning, illustrating and describing this taxon; the first review of the genus Phrynosoma was published by Gentry (1885); this author cited in the following order the publications bearing the name of this species: “ Phrynosoma taurus Dugès MSS., 1868 ; Dugès, Cat. Vert. Mex., 1869; Dumeril (sic) & Bocourt, Miss. Sci. au Mex. et Am. Cent. Rept., 1870, p. 234, pl. xii, fig. 8; Dugès, La Naturaleza, ii, 1871–73, p. 302, fig.”

Reeve (1952) cited the following works: “ Phrynosoma taurus, Dugès, Desc. Manuscript (fide Duméril and Bocourt loc. cit., p. 234), 1869 (sic); and La Naturaleza, 1869, p. 143 (nomen nudum); Aug. Duméril and Bocourt, Mission Scientifique au Mexique et dans l’Amerique Centrale, Études sur les Reptiles livr. 1, 1870, pl. 12, figs. 8, 8a–g; Bocourt, idem, livr. 4, 1874, pp. 234–235, pls. 1, 2, (sic) figs. 8a–g; Dugès, La Naturaleza, 1873, pp. 302– 305, figs. 1–4; Boulenger, Catalogue of Lizards in the British Museum of Natural History, vol. 2, 1885, p. 249;…”

Smith & Taylor (1950) cited the following: “ Phrynosoma taurus Dugès, MS. 1868 , fide Duméril and Bocourt loc. cit., p. 234; and La Naturaleza, 1869, p. 143 (nomen nudum).—Aug. Duméril and Bocourt Mission scientifique au Mexique …, Études sur les reptiles, livr. 1870, pl. 12, figs. 8, 8a–g.—Dugès, La Naturaleza, 1873, pp. 302–305, figs. 1–4 (this description bears the date Nov. 23, 1870, but was not published until 1873; there were two specimens, one from " Cozcatlán," the other from Estado de Puebla).—Bocourt, Mission scientifique au Mexique … Études sur les reptiles, livr. 4, 1874, pp. 234–235.—Boulenger, Catalogue of lizards in the British Museum, vol. 2, 1885, p. 249.—Smith and Necker Anal. Esc. Nac. Cienc. Biol., vol. 3, 1943, pp. 208–210, pl. 3, figs. 1–2.”

Other sources and checklists: Guibé (1954): Phrynosoma taurus Dugès, 1874 ; Brygoo (1989): Phrynosoma taurus Bocourt, 1870 ; Flores-Villela (1993): Phrynosoma taurus Dugès, 1868 (sic); Liner & Casas-Andreu (2008): Phrynosoma taurus Dugès 1874 (1873) (sic); Uetz & Hošek, (2015) (the Reptile Database): Phrynosoma taurus Dugès, 1873 ; Flores-Villela et al. (2010): Phrynosoma taurus Dugès 1870 .

Owing to the inconsistencies related to the authorship and publication dates of this taxon, it is pertinent to point out that among the list of publications cited above, the only correct one was Brygoo (1989). He correctly credited Bocourt for the authorship of the name Phrynosoma taurus , since Bocourt had to be responsible for the publication of the text and plates, due to the premature death of Auguste Duméril on November 12, 1870, who only wrote the introduction of the book (pages 1–7). Based on Article 12.2.7 of the ICZN (1999), the publication of plate 12 Fig. 8a –g, in 1870 by Bocourt in Duméril and Bocourt makes the name available and credited to Bocourt, despite the fact that in the explanation of the plate, the name was credited to Dugès. The use by Bocourt of one of the nine specimens that were already housed at the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, not provided by Dugès, to be illustrated on plate 12, makes Bocourt the person to satisfy the criterion of availability, according to Article 5.1.1 of the ICZN (1999). Therefore Phrynosoma taurus Bocourt, 1870 , is the correct form of citation of this species, the corrected type locality should be: Izúcar de Matamoros, Puebla Mexico.

The specimen cited by Smith & Necker (1943) as a lectotype for this taxon (HE 446, Fig. 11 C) was erroneously given this status.

Current valid name: Phrynosoma taurus Bocourt 1870 .

Figures

FIGURE 8. A, Holotype of Oreophis boulengeri (HE 103); B, Holotype of Rhinocheilus antonii (HE 1223); C, Neotype of Elaps diastema michoacanensis (HE 1); D, Syntype of Crotalus jimenezii (HE 55).

FIGURE 11. A, B, Specimens erroneously designated types of Hylodes alfredi (HE 1038, 1039), see text; C, Specimen of Phrynosoma taurus (HE 446).