Together with biogeographical evidence,
morphological data from the Palawan population
strongly support the recognition of this
population as a distinct evolutionary lineage
(i.e., unique species, in accordance with all
lineage-based species concepts; de Queiroz,
1998, 1999; Frost and Hillis, 1990; Wiley,
1978). Having collected this taxon on recent
surveys to southern Palawan and having
examined all available museum specimens,
we do not hesitate to describe this unique and
distantly allopatric population as a distinct
species. We also clarify the status of Cyrtodactylus
annulatus with respect to the remaining
Philippine congeners and designate a
neotype for this poorly understood Philippine
endemic.