Polyclony and low relative heterozygosity in a widespread unisexual vertebrate,Lepidodactylus lugubris (Sauria)

Contrary to other unisexual vertebrates except a little-known fossorial snake, the Indo-Pacific anthropophilous, parthenogenetic lacertilian Lipododactylus lugubris is vastly more widespread than its bisexual relatives. At the same time, it shows negligible enzyme polymorphism and low overall heterozygosity in its usual diploid condition, which suggests the possibility that hybridization did not intervene when thelytoky was brought about. Clones are in much higher proportion among the sympatric triploids, but they too have a low relative heterozygosity, compounded by gene dosage restriction since no more than two out of the three alleles have been found expressed at any locus. Isozyme data suggest an origin of the complex in South East Asia, which conclusion is substantiated by the presence of a bisexual sibling species in the Philippine Islands.