Media release – 23 March 2009
True Cobras reclassified!
Their classification has just had a major shake up.
Recent studies of the DNA of the group showed various lineages to be far
more ancient than earlier thought.
However there was confusion as to which groups of snakes had actually
been named at the genus level in the past.
It turned out that just 2 of 4 obvious subgroups had been named.
In a paper published this week, Australian zoologist Raymond Hoser
reclassified the group assigning names to the other 2 groups and working out
which species were closest to which.
Taking a conservative stand, all groups had diverged at least 10 million
years from a common ancestor to warrant being named at the genus level.
By contrast for great apes (including humans) anything with a divergence
of more than 4 million years is placed in a separate genus.
Hoser’s paper, while seemingly radical in terms of the number of new
genera named, has been described by himself as “merely stating the obvious”.
He said that while there was room to also split the spitting Cobras into
subgenera and likewise for the genus Boulengerina, for which there was
an argument for a three-way split at the subgenus level, he chose to take the
conservative position and leave them untouched at that level.
In 2004, Hoser controversially placed the world’s longest snake, the
Reticulated Python, in it’s own genus, Broghammerus, taking it away from
the better known genus “Python”. Later
DNA studies, the results of which were published in 2008, upheld the Hoser
position, showing that they had diverged from their nearest python relatives
about 30 million years ago.
“Broghammerus reticulatus” is now generally accepted.
Hoser said this week, “No doubt there will be short term resistance from some quarters to use the new generic names, but, the concept of many of radically different forms and ancient lineages, being in the same genus, is simply not tenable”.
The paper is:
The web link is at:
http://www.smuggled.com/AJHIP1.htm
For further information:
Raymond Hoser – Australia +61 3 9812 3322
+61 412 777 211
See list of
True Cobra species under the new classification here:
Non-urgent email inquiries via the Snakebusters bookings page at:
http://www.snakebusters.com.au/sbsboo1.htm
Urgent inquiries phone:
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia:
(03) 9812 3322 or 0412 777 211