Divergent Morphology of New Guinea Crocodile

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Freshwater crocodiles

The freshwater crocodile inhabiting Papua New Guinea, currently recognized as Crocodylus novaeguineae, exhibits
morphological, molecular, and ecological divergence between the northern and southern versants of the Central
Highlands and occupies separate evolutionary trajectories. A robust body of work has long encouraged the formal
description of New Guinea crocodiles from the southern versant of the highlands as a distinct lineage with a taxonomy
that reflects diagnosed relationships. Here, we use geometric morphometric techniques to assess cranial shape
variation between specimens from both versants and add to the diagnostic evidence supporting a more accurate
taxonomy. Further, herein, we formally describe the southern variant as a distinct lineage (Hall’s New Guinea Crocodile;
Crocodylus halli, new species).