Editing Smooth newt (section)

==Taxonomy==

Swedish naturalist [[Carl Linnaeus]] described the smooth newt in 1758 as ''Lacerta vulgaris'', placing it in the same genus as the [[Lacerta (genus)|green lizards]].{{r|Linnaeus1767|p=370}} It was later re-described under several different species and [[genus (biology)|genus]] names, including ''[[Triton (newt genus)|Triton]]'', ''[[Molge]]'', ''[[Salamandra]]'' and ''[[Lissotriton]]'', with in total 48 species [[synonym (zoology)|synonyms]] published.{{r|Frost2020}} Most recently, it was included in the genus ''[[Triturus]]'', along with most European [[newt]]s.{{r|Sparreboom2014|p=221}} This genus was found to be [[polyphyletic]], containing several unrelated [[lineage (evolution)|lineages]],{{r|TitusLarson1995|WeisrockPapenfuss2006|SteinfartzVicario2007}} and the small-bodied newts, including the smooth newt, were therefore split off as separate genus in 2004 by García-París and colleagues.{{r|Garcia-Paris2004|p=233}} They used the name ''Lissotriton'', introduced by the English zoologist [[Thomas Bell (zoologist)|Thomas Bell]] in 1839 with the smooth newt as [[type species]]{{r|Bell1839|p=132}} but then considered a synonym of ''Triturus''.{{r|Frost2020}} "Lissotriton" is a combination of the [[Ancient Greek|Greek]] {{lang|grc|[[wiktionary:λισσός|λισσός]]}} ({{transliteration|grc|lissós}}), meaning "smooth", and the name of [[Triton (mythology)|Triton]], an ancient Greek god of the sea, while the [[Specific name (zoology)|species epithet]] {{lang|la|[[wiktionary:vulgaris|vulgaris]]}} means "common" in [[Latin]].{{r|Grosse2011|p=17}}

Three [[subspecies]] are accepted by Pabijan, Wielstra and colleagues: ''L.&nbsp;v. vulgaris'', ''L.&nbsp;v. ampelensis'' and ''L.&nbsp;v. meridionalis''.{{r|PabijanZielinski2017|WielstraCanestrelli2018}} These authors, followed by ''Amphibian Species of the World'',{{r|Frost2020}} recognise four former subspecies from southern Europe and west Asia as separate species, as they are [[morphology (biology)|morphologically]] and genetically distinct: the [[Greek smooth newt]] (''L.&nbsp;graecus''), [[Kosswig's smooth newt]] (''L.&nbsp;kosswigi''), the [[Caucasian smooth newt]] (''L.&nbsp;lantzi'') and [[Schmidtler's smooth newt]] (''L.&nbsp;schmidtleri''). The five smooth newt species and the [[Carpathian newt]] (''L.&nbsp;montadoni''), which is their [[sister species]], have collectively been referred to as the "smooth newt [[species complex]]".{{r|WielstraCanestrelli2018}}

To distinguish the smooth newt from its close relatives, the English name "northern smooth newt" has been suggested.{{r|WielstraCanestrelli2018}} Other common names that have been used in the literature include: common newt, great water-newt, common water-newt, warty eft, water eft, common smooth newt, small newt, small eft, small evet, and brown eft.{{r|Frost2020}}