A molecular study of phylogenetic relationships and evolution of antipredator strategies in Australian Diplodactylus geckos, subgenus Strophurus |
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Authors: | JANE MELVILLE JAMES A SCHULTE II and ALLAN LARSON |
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Institution: | Department of Sciences, GPO Box 666E, Museum Victoria, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; Department of Biology, Washington University, St Louis, MO 63130, USA |
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Abstract: | We present phylogenetic analyses of the lizard genus Diplodactylus subgenus Strophurus using 1646 aligned positions of mitochondrial DNA sequences containing 893 parsimony-informative characters for samples of 12 species of Strophurus and 19 additional Australian gecko species. Sequences from three protein-coding genes (ND1, ND2 and COI) and eight intervening transfer RNA genes were examined using parsimony, maximum-likelihood and Bayesian analyses. Species of Strophurus appeared to form a monophyletic group with the possible exception of S. taenicauda . Strophurus has evolved two distinct defence/display characteristics: caudal glands, which expel an unpalatable substance, and striking mouth colours. Caudal glands appeared to have arisen once in a common ancestor of Strophurus , with dermal augmentation of caudal glands characterizing a subclade within the subgenus. Evolution of yellow and dark-blue mouth colours in Strophurus occurred in the context of diurnal activity and may be interpreted as an augmentation of defensive behavioural displays. Molecular divergence suggests that arboreality evolved in a common ancestor of Oedura and Strophurus approximately 29 Mya and that the caudal glands of Strophurus arose approximately 25 Mya. © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 82 , 123–138. |
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Keywords: | Australia defensive display Gekkonidae Gekkota molecular systematics Pygopodidae mitochondrial DNA Reptilia Sauria |
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