New Salamander Species DIscovered In Pacific Northwest

[hatrack]

PORTLAND, Ore. — "A new species of salamander has been identified in the Siskiyou Mountains of southern Oregon and Northern California, demonstrating the biological richness of the region, researchers say.

The Scott Bar salamander, classified as Plethodon asupak, had been considered to be a member of the Siskiyou Mountains salamander species, or Plethodon stormi, until genetic analysis showed a distinct evolutionary line, said Joseph Vaile of the Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center in Ashland. "Everyone talks about how biologically rich the tropics are, but we are still discovering species right here in the Klamath-Siskiyou," Vaile said.

The word "asupak" is the Shasta Indian name for Scott Bar, an area near the confluence of the Scott and Klamath rivers.

Dave Clayton, a U.S. Forest Service biologist, led the study. The genetic analysis was done at Oregon State University. The species dates from the Pleistocene era, a geologic period that stretches from 1.8 million years to 10,000 years ago. The newly identified species is believed to have survived the last ice age, Vaile said."

EDIT

http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=7755

[blindpig]

1. nice

there have been quite a few of these "cryptic" species described in recent years due to new molecular methods of investigation. Gives the grad students something to do.