Cryptic diversity in S outh A merican T eiinae ( S quamata, T eiidae) lizards

Based on phylogenetic and molecular dating analyses of several species of C nemidophorus and A meiva , representing major groups of species of these two genera, we uncover a previously unrecognized A meiva lineage, which includes described C nemidophorus parecis from south‐western A mazonia. We discuss the diagnosis of A meiva and C nemidophorus and the implications of the new taxonomic rearrangement of genera from T eiidae for the monophyly of A meiva . Based on the conclusion of our analyses, we provide description of a new species named A meiva jacuba from the central B razilian C errado and a detailed diagnosis for the relocation of C . parecis to Ameiva . We do not adopt here recent taxonomic changes proposed for T eiidae and provide a discussion about them. Finally, based on molecular dating and the distribution of living species, we propose an evolutionary scenario for the origins of S outh A merican cis‐ A ndean A meiva lineages, associated with the topographic subdivision of the C errado region during M iocene marine introgressions.