Partitioned Bayesian analyses, dispersal-vicariance analysis, and the biogeography of Chinese toad-headed lizards (Agamidae: Phrynocephalus): a re-evaluation

The toad-headed lizards of genus Phrynocephalus are distributed from northwestern China to Turkey and are one of the major components of the central Asian desert fauna. To date, published morphological and molecular phylogenetic hypotheses of Phrynocephalus are only partially congruent, and the relationships within the genus are still far from clear. We re-analyzed published mitochondrial gene sequence data (12S, 16S, cyt b, ND4-tRNA(Leu)) by employing partition-specific modeling in a combined DNA analysis to clarify existing gaps in the phylogeny of Chinese Phrynocephalus. Using this phylogenetic framework, we inferred the genus' historical biogeography by using weighted ancestral-area analysis and dispersal-vicariance analysis in combination with a Bayesian relaxed molecular-clock approach and paleogeographical data. The partitioned Bayesian analyses support the monophyly of Phrynocephalus and its sister-group relationship with Laudakia. An earlier finding demonstrating the monophyly of the viviparous group is corroborated. However, our hypothesis of internal relationships of the oviparous group differs from a previous hypothesis as our results do not support monophyly of the oviparous taxa. Instead, the viviparous taxa form a clade with many oviparous taxa exclusive of P. helioscopus and P. mystaceus. Our results also suggest that: (1) P. putjatia is a valid species, comprising populations from Guide, Qinghai Province and Tianzhu, Gansu Province; (2) P. hongyuanensis is not a valid species, synonymized instead with P. vlangalii; (3) P. zetangensis is not a valid species and should be included in P. theobaldi; (4) the population occurring in Kuytun, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is recognized as P. guttatus instead of P. versicolor; and (5) the Lanzhou population of P. frontalis is part of P. przewalskii. Congruent with previous hypotheses, the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau played a fundamental role in the diversification of Phrynocephalus. An evolutionary scenario combining aspects of vicariance and dispersal is necessary to explain the distribution of Phrynocephalus. Bayesian divergence-time estimation suggests that Phrynocephalus originated at the Middle-Late Miocene boundary (15.16-10.4 Ma), and diversified from Late Miocene to Pleistocene from a center of origin in Central Asia, Tarim Basin, and Junggar Basin temperate desert, followed by several rapid speciation events in a relatively short time. The proposed biogeographic scenarios also indicate that the Tarim Basin desert may be the secondary diversification center, followed by Junggar Basin temperate desert and Alashan Plateau temperate desert. In the viviparous group, the allopatric speciation of P. theobaldi and P. vlangalii may have been caused by the uplifting of Tanggula Mountain Ranges. In addition, the results of this study make an important contribution to understanding the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau and Tian Shan Mountains and the biogeography of the entire region.     

分子系统进化关系分析的一种新方法--贝叶斯法在硬蜱属中的应用

距离矩阵邻接法、最大简约法和最大似然法是重建生物系统关系的3种主要方法。普遍认为最大似然法在原理上优于前二种方法，但其计算复杂费时。由于现行计算机的能力尚达不到其要求而实用性差，特别是在处理大数据集样本(即大于25个分类单元)时，用此方法几乎不可能。新近提出的贝叶斯法(Bayesianmethod)既保留了最大似然法的基本原理，又引进了马尔科夫链的蒙特卡洛方法，并使计算时间大大缩短。本文用贝叶斯法对硬蜱属(Ixodes)19个种的线粒体16S rDNA片段进行了系统进化分析。从总体上看，分析结果与现有的基于形态学的分类体系基本吻合。但与现存的假说相反，莱姆病的主要宿主蓖籽硬蜱复合种组并非单系。通过比较贝叶斯法与其它三种方法的结果，我们认为贝叶斯法是一种系统进化分析的好方法，它既能根据分子进化的现有理论和各种模型用概率重建系统进化关系，又克服了最大似然法计算速度慢、不适用于大数据集样本的缺陷。贝叶斯法根据后验概率直观地表示系统进化关系的分析结果，不需要用自引导法进行检验。可以预料，贝叶斯法将会被广泛地应用到系统进化分析上[动物学报49(3)：380—388，2003]。     

基于线粒体Cyt b基因和CO I基因序列研究豹蛱蝶亚科(鳞翅目,蛱蝶科)10属间的系统发生关系

测定了国产豹蛱蝶亚科10属共10个代表种的Cyt 6基因和CO Ⅰ基因的部分序列.结合从GenBank中获得的3个种类CO Ⅰ基因的同源序列,以锯眼蝶亚科2个物种为外群,通过遗传分析软件对CO Ⅰ、Cyt b独立基因序列和联合基因序列以及编码的氨基酸序列进行了比较分析,同时用邻接法(NJ)、最大简约法(MP)、最大似然法(ML)和贝叶斯法(BI)重建分子系统树,分析了该亚科10个属之间的系统发生关系.结果显示:1)联合基因序列的A+T平均含量为71.90h,具A、T偏倚性,其编码的357个氨基酸中没有半胱氨酸,变异率为11.5%;2)豹蛱蝶亚族为单系群;3)青豹蛱蝶属和豹蛱蝶属间、黄襟蛱蝶属和珐蛱蝶属间具有较近的亲缘关系;4)支持将文蛱蝶属、襟蛱蝶属和珐蛱蝶属从豹蛱蝶亚科中分离出来.     

Reanalysis of Murphy et al.'s data gives various mammalian phylogenies and suggests overcredibility of Bayesian trees

Murphy and colleagues reported that the mammalian phylogeny was resolved by Bayesian phylogenetics. However, the DNA sequences they used had many alignment gaps and undetermined nucleotide sites. We therefore reanalyzed their data by minimizing unshared nucleotide sites and retaining as many species as possible (13 species). In constructing phylogenetic trees, we used the Bayesian, maximum likelihood (ML), maximum parsimony (MP), and neighbor-joining (NJ) methods with different substitution models. These trees were constructed by using both protein and DNA sequences. The results showed that the posterior probabilities for Bayesian trees were generally much higher than the bootstrap values for ML, MP, and NJ trees. Two different Bayesian topologies for the same set of species were sometimes supported by high posterior probabilities, implying that two different topologies can be judged to be correct by Bayesian phylogenetics. This suggests that the posterior probability in Bayesian analysis can be excessively high as an indication of statistical confidence and therefore Murphy et al.'s tree, which largely depends on Bayesian posterior probability, may not be correct.     

从核rDNA序列探讨隙蛛亚科Coelotinae的分类地位

隙蛛亚科Coelotinae主要分布于东亚地区,其中我国的已有种类占到全世界种数的一半以上,因此对于我国隙蛛类蜘蛛的研究已经成为世界暗蛛科研究的重点之一。隙蛛亚科属于无筛器类群,于1893年,由Cambridge以隙蛛属为模式属而建立,归属于无筛器的漏斗蛛科。之后,虽然经历了数次修订     

REEXAMINATION OF PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN THE COLONIAL VOLVOCALES (CHLOROPHYTA): AN ANALYSIS OF atpB AND rbcL GENE SEQUENCES

The chloroplast-encoded atp B gene was sequenced from 33 strains representing 28 species of the colonial Volvocales (the Volvocaceae and its relatives) to reexamine phylogenetic relationships as previously deduced by morphological data and rbc L gene sequence data.1128 base pairs in the coding regions of the atp B gene were analyzed by MP, NJ, and ML analyses. Although supported with relatively low bootstrap values (75% and 65% in the NJ and ML analyses, respectively), three anisogamous/oogamous volvocacean genera— Eudorina, Pleodorina, and Volvox, excluding the section Volvox (= Euvolvox, illegitimate name), constituted a large monophyletic group (Eudorina group). Outside the Eudorina group, a robust lineage composed of three species of Volvox sect. Volvox was resolved as in the rbc L gene trees, rejecting the hypothesis of the previous cladistic analysis based on morphological data that the genus Volvox is monophyletic. In addition, the NJ and ML trees suggested that Eudorina is a nonmonophyletic genus as inferred from the morphological data and rbc L gene sequences. Although phylogenetic status of the genus Gonium is ambiguous in the rbc L gene trees and the paraphyly of this genus is resolved in the cladistic analysis based on morphological data, the atp B gene sequence data suggest monophyly of Gonium with relatively low bootstrap values (56–61%) in the NJ and ML trees. On the basis of the combined sequence data (2256 base pairs) from atp B and rbc L genes, Gonium was resolved as a robust monophyletic genus in the NJ and ML trees (with 68–86% bootstrap values), and Eudorina elegans Ehrenberg represented a paraphyletic species positioned most basally within the Eudorina group. However, phylogenetic status and relationships of the families of the colonial Volvocales were still almost ambiguous even in the combined analysis.     

基于线粒体DNA序列探讨斑头鱼分类地位

测定了斑头鱼Agrammus agrammus和大泷六线鱼Hexagrammos otakii的线粒体COⅠ、Cyt b和16S rRNA基因的部分序列,结合从GenBank中获得的六线鱼属3种的同源序列,以单鳍多线鱼Pleurogrammus monopterygius为外群,运用邻接法(NJ)、最大简约法(MP)和贝叶斯法(BI)构建了分子系统树。同时联合了3个基因片段序列,运用贝叶斯联合模型综合探讨了六线鱼类的系统发育关系。结果显示:除16S rRNA基因外,其余2个基因片段以及联合模型所构建的系统树拓扑结构完全一致,即斑头鱼与大泷六线鱼亲缘关系最近,应归为六线鱼属,拉丁学名应为Hexagrammos agrammus。Cyt b基因片段序列分析结果显示,斑头鱼和大泷六线鱼分歧时间约为175万年。结合形态学研究资料,支持将斑头鱼归为六线鱼属的观点,斑头鱼和大泷六线鱼亲缘关系最近,属于六线鱼科中分化较晚的种类。     

Phylogenetic relationships of agaric fungi based on nuclear large subunit ribosomal DNA sequences

Phylogenetic relationships of mushrooms and their relatives within the order Agaricales were addressed by using nuclear large subunit ribosomal DNA sequences. Approximately 900 bases of the 5' end of the nucleus-encoded large subunit RNA gene were sequenced for 154 selected taxa representing most families within the Agaricales. Several phylogenetic methods were used, including weighted and equally weighted parsimony (MP), maximum likelihood (ML), and distance methods (NJ). The starting tree for branch swapping in the ML analyses was the tree with the highest ML score among previously produced MP and NJ trees. A high degree of consensus was observed between phylogenetic estimates obtained through MP and ML. NJ trees differed according to the distance model that was used; however, all NJ trees still supported most of the same terminal groupings as the MP and ML trees did. NJ trees were always significantly suboptimal when evaluated against the best MP and ML trees, by both parsimony and likelihood tests. Our analyses suggest that weighted MP and ML provide the best estimates of Agaricales phylogeny. Similar support was observed between bootstrapping and jackknifing methods for evaluation of tree robustness. Phylogenetic analyses revealed many groups of agaricoid fungi that are supported by moderate to high bootstrap or jackknife values or are consistent with morphology-based classification schemes. Analyses also support separate placement of the boletes and russules, which are basal to the main core group of gilled mushrooms (the Agaricineae of Singer). Examples of monophyletic groups include the families Amanitaceae, Coprinaceae (excluding Coprinus comatus and subfamily Panaeolideae), Agaricaceae (excluding the Cystodermateae), and Strophariaceae pro parte (Stropharia, Pholiota, and Hypholoma); the mycorrhizal species of Tricholoma (including Leucopaxillus, also mycorrhizal); Mycena and Resinomycena; Termitomyces, Podabrella, and Lyophyllum; and Pleurotus with Hohenbuehelia. Several groups revealed by these data to be nonmonophyletic include the families Tricholomataceae, Cortinariaceae, and Hygrophoraceae and the genera Clitocybe, Omphalina, and Marasmius. This study provides a framework for future systematics studies in the Agaricales and suggestions for analyzing large molecular data sets.     

Phylogenetic relationships within the genus Jesogammarus (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Anisogammaridae) deduced from mitochondrial COI and 12S sequences

The genus Jesogammarus contains 16 species in two subgenera, Jesogammarus and Annanogammarus. To examine relationships among species in the genus, a molecular phylogenetic study including eight species of the former subgenus and four of the latter was conducted using partial DNA sequences of the mitochondrial COI and 12S rRNA genes. MP, NJ, and ML trees based on the combined COI and 12S data indicated monophyly of the subgenus Annanogammarus, though the monophyly of Jesogammarus was left unresolved. Consistent with few morphological differences, Jesogammarus (A.) naritai and J. (A.) suwaensis showed low genetic differentiation and did not show reciprocal monophyly, which suggests a close affinity of these taxa.     

Intraspecific phylogeography of Lacerta vivipara and the evolution of viviparity

The lacertid lizard Lacerta vivipara is one of the few squamate species with two reproductive modes. We present the intraspecific phylogeny obtained from neighbor-joining and maximum-parsimony analyses of the mtDNA cytochrome b sequences for 15 individuals from Slovenian oviparous populations, 34 individuals from western oviparous populations of southern France and northern Spain, 92 specimens from European and Russian viviparous populations, and 3 specimens of the viviparous subspecies L. v. pannonica. The phylogeny indicates that the evolutionary transition from oviparity to viviparity probably occurred once in L. vivipara. The western oviparous group from Spain and southern France is phylogenetically most closely related to the viviparous clade. However, the biarmed W chromosome characterizing the western viviparous populations is an apomorphic character, whereas the uniarmed W chromosome, existing both in the western oviparous populations and in the geographically distant eastern viviparous populations, is a plesiomorphic character. This suggests an eastern origin of viviparity. Various estimates suggest that the oviparous and viviparous clades of L. vivipara split during the Pleistocene. Our results are discussed in the framework of general evolutionary models: the concept of an oviparity-viviparity continuum in squamates, the cold climate model of selection for viviparity in squamates, and the contraction-expansion of ranges in the Pleistocene resulting in allopatric differentiation.     

Phylogenetic relationships among the Lorisoidea as indicated by craniodental morphology and mitochondrial sequence data

The phylogeny of the Afro-Asian Lorisoidea is controversial. While postcranial data attest strongly to the monophyly of the Lorisidae, most molecular analyses portray them as paraphyletic and group the Galagidae alternately with the Asian or African lorisids. One of the problems that has bedevilled phylogenetic analysis of the group in the past is the limited number of taxa sampled for both ingroup families. We present the results of a series of phylogenetic analyses based on 635 base pairs (bp) from two mitochondrial genes (12S and 16S rRNA) with and without 36 craniodental characters, for 11 galagid and five lorisid taxa. The outgroup was the gray mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus). Analyses of the molecular data included maximum parsimony (MP), neighbor joining (NJ), maximum likelihood (ML), and Bayesian methods. The model-based analyses and the combined "molecules+morphology" analyses supported monophyly of the Lorisidae and Galagidae. The lorisids form two geographically defined clades. We find no support for the taxonomy of Galagidae as proposed recently by Groves [Primate Taxonomy, Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press. 350 p, 2001]. The taxonomy of Nash et al. [International Journal of Primatology 10:57-80, 1989] is supported by the combined "molecules+morphology" analysis; however, the model-based analyses suggest that Galagoides may be an assemblage of species united by plesiomorphic craniodental characters.     

Phylogenetic relationships of Hynobius naevius (Amphibia: Caudata) as revealed by mitochondrial 12S and 16S rRNA genes

Using mitochondrial 12S and 16S rRNA sequences, we investigated phylogenetic relationships among populations of the endemic Japanese salamander Hynobius naevius. Monophyly of this species was recovered only in the maximum parsimony tree and was unresolved in maximum likelihood and Bayesian trees. Instead the following four haplotype clades consistently emerged clearly: Clade 1 from northwestern Kyushu, Clade 2 from Chugoku and northeastern Kyushu, Clade 3 from western Shikoku and Kyushu, and Clade 4 from Chubu-Kinki and central-eastern Shikoku. Of these, Clades 1 and 2, and Clades 3 and 4, respectively, correspond to Groups A and B previously recognized from the analyses of allozyme data in this species, but monophyly of these groups was not strongly supported. Unlike the previous results, the western and eastern samples from Shikoku did not form a clade, and were grouped with Kyushu-B in Clade 3 and Chubu-Kinki in Clade 4, respectively. The reason for this conflict between mtDNA and allozyme results is unknown, but might be related to retention of ancestral mtDNA polymorphism in Shikoku populations. Nearly simultaneous divergence of as many as four lineages in wide-ranging H. naevius is inferred for the late Miocene-Pliocene history of this taxon.     

Mitochondrial phylogeny of the Chrysisignita (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae) species group based on simultaneous Bayesian alignment and phylogeny reconstruction

The ignita species group within the genus Chrysis includes over 100 cuckoo wasp species, which all lead a parasitic lifestyle and exhibit very similar morphology. The lack of robust, diagnostic morphological characters has hindered phylogenetic reconstructions and contributed to frequent misidentification and inconsistent interpretations of species in this group. Therefore, molecular phylogenetic analysis is the most suitable approach for resolving the phylogeny and taxonomy of this group. We present a well-resolved phylogeny of the Chrysis ignita species group based on mitochondrial sequence data from 41 ingroup and six outgroup taxa. Although our emphasis was on European taxa, we included samples from most of the distribution range of the C. ignita species group to test for monophyly. We used a continuous mitochondrial DNA sequence consisting of 16S rRNA, tRNA(Val), 12S rRNA and ND4. The location of the ND4 gene at the 3' end of this continuous sequence, following 12S rRNA, represents a novel mitochondrial gene arrangement for insects. Due to difficulties in aligning rRNA genes, two different Bayesian approaches were employed to reconstruct phylogeny: (1) using a reduced data matrix including only those positions that could be aligned with confidence; or (2) using the full sequence dataset while estimating alignment and phylogeny simultaneously. In addition maximum-parsimony and maximum-likelihood analyses were performed to test the robustness of the Bayesian approaches. Although all approaches yielded trees with similar topology, considerably more nodes were resolved with analyses using the full data matrix. Phylogenetic analysis supported the monophyly of the C. ignita species group and divided its species into well-supported clades. The resultant phylogeny was only partly in accordance with published subgroupings based on morphology. Our results suggest that several taxa currently treated as subspecies or names treated as synonyms may in fact constitute separate species. Our study provides a solid basis for further systematic investigations of this enigmatic insect group.     

基于 rDNA ITS 1序列探讨臂尾轮属轮虫的系统发生关系

本文通过对剪形臂尾轮虫、矩形臂尾轮虫、十指臂尾轮虫、红臂尾轮虫、角突臂尾轮虫、双棘臂尾轮虫、裂足臂尾轮虫和萼花臂尾轮虫等八种臂尾轮虫rDNAITS 1序列分析,并以西氏晶囊轮虫为外群,使用PAUP和贝叶斯软件分别构建臂尾轮属轮虫系统发生树( MP树、NJ树、ML树和贝叶斯树) ,以探讨臂尾轮属的系统发生关系,并解决其中的一些分类问题。结果表明:本研究所涉及的轮虫rDNAITS 1平均序列差异百分比较高,为29 %;海水和淡水臂尾轮虫被明显分为不同的进化枝;除双棘臂尾轮虫外,在淡水臂尾轮虫中具有三对前棘刺且营附着生活的种类与前棘刺少于三对且营浮游生活的种类聚在不同支系中,这与以形态特征为主所进行的系统发生研究结果基本一致;所有的系统树均支持将十指臂尾轮虫作为一个独立的支系分离出来,裂足臂尾轮虫应归入臂尾轮属。     

Molecular systematics and biogeography of the southern South american freshwater "crabs" Aegla (decapoda: Anomura: Aeglidae) using multiple heuristic tree search approaches

Recently new heuristic genetic algorithms such as Treefinder and MetaGA have been developed to search for optimal trees in a maximum likelihood (ML) framework. In this study we combined these methods with other standard heuristic approaches such as ML and maximum parsimony hill-climbing searches and Bayesian inference coupled with Markov chain Monte Carlo techniques under homogeneous and mixed models of evolution to conduct an extensive phylogenetic analysis of the most abundant and widely distributed southern South American freshwater"crab,"the Aegla(Anomura: Aeglidae). A total of 167 samples representing 64 Aegla species and subspecies were sequenced for one nuclear (28S rDNA) and four mitochondrial (12S and 16S rDNA, COI, and COII) genes (5352 bp total). Additionally, six other anomuran species from the genera Munida,Pachycheles, and Uroptychus(Galatheoidea), Lithodes(Paguroidea), and Lomis(Lomisoidea) and the nuclear 18S rDNA gene (1964 bp) were included in preliminary analyses for rooting the Aegla tree. Nonsignificantly different phylogenetic hypotheses resulted from all the different heuristic methods used here, although the best scored topologies found under the ML hill-climbing, Bayesian, and MetaGA approaches showed considerably better likelihood scores (Delta> 54) than those found under the MP and Treefinder approaches. Our trees provided strong support for most of the recognized Aegla species except for A. cholchol,A. jarai,A. parana,A. marginata, A. platensis, and A. franciscana, which may actually represent multiple species. Geographically, the Aegla group was divided into a basal western clade (21 species and subspecies) composed of two subclades with overlapping distributions, and a more recent central-eastern clade (43 species) composed of three subclades with fairly well-recognized distributions. This result supports the Pacific-Origin Hypothesis postulated for the group; alternative hypotheses of Atlantic or multiple origins were significantly rejected by our analyses. Finally, we combined our phylogenetic results with previous hypotheses of South American paleodrainages since the Jurassic to propose a biogeographical framework of the Aegla radiation.     

园蛛总科网型不同的蜘蛛间分子系统发生关系的初步探讨

为初步探讨园蛛总科内网型不同的蜘蛛间分子系统发生关系,测定了9种蜘蛛核18S rRNA基因的部分序列。联合GenBank中的2种蜘蛛18S rRNA基因序列数据,用NJ法、MP法和ML法重建分子系统树,结果表明：（1）织圆网的园蛛科和肖蛸科蜘蛛在园蛛总科中不是姊妹群;（2）不织圆网的球蛛科和皿蛛科也不是单系发生,证实了皿蛛片网和球蛛网独立起源的观点;（3）皿蛛科蜘蛛的分子系统发生地位与肖蛸科较近、而与园蛛科较远,这表明皿蛛科和园蛛科问雄性触肢结构的相似性很可能是类似而不是同源相似。     

基于线粒体ND1和16S rRNA基因序列探讨中国蝴蝶12科的系统发育关系(鳞翅目: 双孔次亚目: 蝶类)

对中国12科共32种代表蝶类的ND1基因和16S rRNA 基因进行了序列测定（包括新测30种ND1基因和9种16S rRNA基因）和比较分析, 同时采用邻接法、最大似然法和贝叶斯法构建了12科蝶类的系统发育树, 探讨了其高级分类群的系统发育关系。序列分析的结果显示: 经比对处理后的两个基因总长度为869 bp, 其中保守位点373个, 可变位点496个, 简约信息位点375个; A+T的平均含量为80.2％, 明显高于C+G的平均含量19.8％。分子系统树表明: 蛱蝶科不是单系群; 珍蝶类、斑蝶类和喙蝶类位于蛱蝶科内; 粉蝶科和凤蝶科具有共同祖先。据此建议: 绢蝶科应归入凤蝶科; 蚬蝶科归入灰蝶科; 珍蝶类、斑蝶类和喙蝶类作为蛱蝶科中的亚科, 眼蝶类从蛱蝶科中分离出来独立成科。另外, 环蝶类的系统分类地位还有待于进一步研究。     

Phylogenetic relationships of two Salamandrella species as revealed by mitochondrial DNA and allozyme variation (Amphibia: Caudata: Hynobiidae)

We conducted molecular phylogenetic analyses to confirm taxonomic relationships and to delimit distributional ranges of Siberian salamanders, Salamandrella keyserlingii and Salamandrella schrenckii, and to elucidate the origin of the isolated population of this species complex on Hokkaido, Japan. Phylogenetic trees constructed by MP, NJ, ML, and Bayesian methods, using complete sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome b genes, all indicated monophyly of Salamandrella and of each of the two species. Identical relationships were found on UPGMA, NJ, and CONTML trees derived from electrophoretic analysis of variation in 18 inferred allozyme loci. Populations from Hokkaido and northeastern China proved to be S. keyserlingii, while populations from Khabarovsk and Lazovsky are S. schrenckii. Genetic differentiations of S. keyserlingii within Sakhalin, and between Sakhalin and Hokkaido, are substantial. The Hokkaido population is hypothesized to have been isolated on the island since early Pleistocene, much earlier than isolation of sympatric anuran populations from their Sakhalin relatives. In contrast, the continental populations of S. keyserlingii are only slightly differentiated from some Sakhalin populations, and are thought to have expanded their ranges in the late Pleistocene.     

Genetic differentiation between two color morphs of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Apogon taeniophorus</Emphasis> from southern Japan

The anterior half of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene (ca. 610bp) was compared for two color morphs (spotted and lined types) of a dark-striped cardinalfish, previously identified as Apogon taeniophorus. Phylogenetic analyses using maximum-parsimony (MP) and neighbor-joining (NJ) methods, with haplotypes of A. cookii as an outgroup, showed that the haplotypes of each color-morph were reciprocally monophyletic with 100% bootstrap values. In addition, the degree of sequence difference between the two morphs was comparable to that existing between the other clearly distinct congeneric species. These results, together with the differences in coloration and overlapped geographical ranges, indicated that the two color morphs of A. taeniophorus represent two distinct species.     

Intraspecific Phylogeography of Lacerta vivipara and the Evolution of Viviparity

The lacertid lizard Lacerta vivipara is one of the few squamate species with two reproductive modes. We present the intraspecific phylogeny obtained from neighbor-joining and maximum-parsimony analyses of the mtDNA cytochrome b sequences for 15 individuals from Slovenian oviparous populations, 34 individuals from western oviparous populations of southern France and northern Spain, 92 specimens from European and Russian viviparous populations, and 3 specimens of the viviparous subspecies L. v. pannonica. The phylogeny indicates that the evolutionary transition from oviparity to viviparity probably occurred once in L. vivipara. The western oviparous group from Spain and southern France is phylogenetically most closely related to the viviparous clade. However, the biarmed W chromosome characterizing the western viviparous populations is an apomorphic character, whereas the uniarmed W chromosome, existing both in the western oviparous populations and in the geographically distant eastern viviparous populations, is a plesiomorphic character. This suggests an eastern origin of viviparity. Various estimates suggest that the oviparous and viviparous clades of L. vivipara split during the Pleistocene. Our results are discussed in the framework of general evolutionary models: the concept of an oviparity–viviparity continuum in squamates, the cold climate model of selection for viviparity in squamates, and the contraction–expansion of ranges in the Pleistocene resulting in allopatric differentiation.