Genetic differentiation of the African dwarf crocodile Osteolaemus tetraspis Cope, 1861 (Crocodylia: Crocodylidae) and consequences for European zoos
@article{Franke2012GeneticDO, title={Genetic differentiation of the African dwarf crocodile Osteolaemus tetraspis Cope, 1861 (Crocodylia: Crocodylidae) and consequences for European zoos}, author={Franziska Anni Franke and Fabian Schmidt and Christin Borgwardt and Detlef Bernhard and Christoph Bleidorn and Wolfgang Engelmann and Martin Schlegel}, journal={Organisms Diversity \& Evolution}, year={2012}, volume={13}, pages={255-266} }
The endangered African dwarf crocodile Osteolaemus tetraspis is distributed in Central and Western Africa. Conventionally, two subspecies were distinguished: Osteolaemus tetraspis tetraspis and Osteolaemus tetraspis osborni. The taxonomic significance of diagnostic morphological characters is still being discussed and the existence of additional species in the Osteolaemus group remains unclear. Recent molecular studies suggest the existence of three allopatric species in the genus Osteolaemus…
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