THE TAXONOMIC POSITION OF CENTRAL-ASIAN U RODELANS HYNOBIUS-TURKESTANICUS AND TURANOMOLGE-MENSBIERI

All the available information on Hynobius turkestanicus and Turanomolg e mensiberi was reviewed. Only two larvae remained in collections: one attributed to H. turkestanicus in St.-Petersburg (ZISP. 2404) and ano ther of T. mensbieri in Kharkov (KhSU. 8713). External morphology and osteology of the palatal region and the anterior part of the skull in both larvae are studied and compared with other urodelans. The study s howed, that both specimens do not belong to hynobiiids, but are the re presentatives of the family Salamandridae. These specimens may belong to metamorphosing larvae of the superspecies Triturus cristatus. T. me nsbieri should be preliminary considered as a junior synonym of the su perspecies Triturus cristatus. Both larvae appear to be unlikely colle cted in Central Asia (<<Russian Turkestan>>) as supposed in the origin al description, According to the original description, H. turkestanicu s can be considered as a valid species differing from other hynobiids and originating from the humid mountain area between Samarkand and the Pamirs in Central Asia. Its holotype and other collected specimens we re lost and new records are unknown.