Author Archives: Ben Wielstra

In a paper in the Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research we explore the evolution of body form in crested newts. In general crested newts started out with large bodies with a short trunk and a wide head. Over … Continue reading →

Within the crested newt assemblage, known as the Triturus cristatus superspecies, T. karelinii has been severely understudied. Limited data suggests there might me more than one species involved and the systematic position within the crested newt superspecies is unclear. Furthermore, … Continue reading →

Male crested newt of the T. karelinii-group (now called T. ivanbureschi). Picture by Michael Fahrbach. The Triturus karelinii-group of crested newts has sometimes been considered to comprise two species, ‘T. karelinii proper’ in the east and ‘T. arntzeni’ in the … Continue reading →

As the crested newts radiated in a short temporal interval, a relatively long time ago, it has proven extremely difficult to resolve their phylogenetic relationships. This might mean they truly did split simultaneously, or the amount of data studies may … Continue reading →

The genus Triturus comprises the marbled newts (such as T. pygmaeus on the left) and the crested newts (such as T. karelinii on the right). Pictures by Michael Fahrbach. Despite the genus Triturus (in my humble opinion) being a model … Continue reading →