New character useful in the systematics of the scincid lizard genus Mabuya

The overlap pattern between the parietal scale and the upper anterior tempo ral scale is a useful character in the large scincid lizard genus Mabuya. I n the primitive pattern, the parietal overlaps the upper anterior temporal, and in the derived pattern, the upper anterior temporal overlaps the parie tal. The primitive condition occurs in most species from Africa, at least s ome of the species from the Cape Verdes, and in all species from the Americ as and the Seychelles. The derived condition occurs in most species from so utheast Asia, some south Asian species, all endemic Madagascan species, and a few mainland African species.