Andrias

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Andrias
Temporal range: Chattian–recent
Andrias japonicus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Urodela
Family: Cryptobranchidae
Genus: Andrias
Tschudi, 1837
Type species
Temminck
, 1836
Species

7 (including 2 extinct), see text

Synonyms

Megalobatrachus

Andrias is a genus of giant salamanders. It includes the largest salamanders in the world, with A. japonicus reaching a length of 1.44 metres (4 ft 9 in), and A. sligoi reaching 1.80 metres (5 ft 11 in). While extant species are only known from East Asia, several extinct species in the genus are known from late Oligocene and Neogene aged fossils collected in Europe and North America, indicating that the genus formerly had a much wider range.[1]

Taxonomy

The generic name derives from Ancient Greek ἀνδριάς, "statue". The former name was Megalobatrachus, from Ancient Greek meaning "giant frog".

Phylogeny

This phylogeny is based on Chai et al (2022).[2] and Vasilyan et al (2013)[3]

Cryptobranchus alleganiensis

Andrias

†Andrias scheuchzeri

Andrias japonicus

Andrias cheni

Andrias jiangxiensis

Andrias sp.

Andrias davidianus
(Andrias sp. B & C)

Andrias sligoi

Andrias sp. "U1"

Alternative phylogeny by Fang et al (2018).[4]

Cryptobranchus alleganiensis

Andrias

†Andrias scheuchzeri

Andrias japonicus

Andrias sp. "A"

Andrias davidianus
(Andrias sp. B & C)

Andrias sligoi

Andrias sp. "U1"

Andrias jiangxiensis

Andrias cheni

Species

Extant species

Image Scientific name Common name Distribution
Andrias cheni Qimen giant salamander Eastern China (Huangshan Mountains in Anhui Province)
Andrias davidianus Chinese giant salamander Central China (traditionally considered widespread in the country, but likely restricted to Yangtze River basin), introduced to Kyoto Prefecture, Japan[5]
Andrias japonicus Japanese giant salamander Southern Japan (southern Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku)
Andrias jiangxiensis Jiangxi giant salamander Eastern China (Jiangxi Province)
Andrias sligoi South China giant salamander Southern China (
Pearl River
basin)

Based on genetic evidence, there may be more extant species in the genus. A study in 2018 found that A. davidianus

sensu lato was a species complex that consisted of at least 5 different species.[6] A. sligoi, which was formerly synonymized with A. davidianus, was revived in 2019 for one of these populations. another one of these was described as A. jiangxiensis in 2022, and another as A. cheni in 2023.[7][8][9]

Fossil species

Image Scientific name Common name Distribution Age
†Andrias matthewi Matthew's giant salamander United States and Canada early-middle Miocene
†Andrias scheuchzeri Central Europe, possibly Central Asia and Western Siberia late Oligocene-late Pliocene

References

  1. ^ "Fossilworks: Andrias". fossilworks.org. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  2. PMID 35514224
    .
  3. S2CID 85930910
    .
  4. PMID 29787716
    .
  5. ISSN 2045-2322
    .
  6. ^ "5 Giant Salamander Species Identified—And They're All in Danger". National Geographic News. 2018-05-29. Archived from the original on May 30, 2018. Retrieved 2018-12-24.
  7. PMID 31624538
    .
  8. PMID 35514224
    .
  9. ^ Frost, Darrell. "Andrias cheni Xu, Gong, Li, Jiang, Huang, and Huang, 2023". Amphibian Species of the World 6.2, an Online Reference.
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