Phylogeography of the Northern Alligator Lizard (Squamata,Anguidae): Hidden diversity in a western endemic

Western North America includes the California Floristic Province and the Pacific Northwest, biologically diverse regions highlighted by a complex topography, geology, climate and history. A number of animals span these regions and show distinctive patterns of dispersal, vicariance and lineage diversification. Examining phylogeographic patterns in the fauna of this area aids in our understanding of the forces that have contributed to the generation and maintenance of regional biodiversity. Here, we investigate the biogeography and population structure of the Northern Alligator Lizard (Elgaria coerulea), a wide‐ranging anguid endemic to western North America. We sequenced two mtDNA fragments (ND2 and ND4) for 181 individuals across the range of the species and analysed these data with phylogenetic approaches to infer population and biogeographic history, and date major divergences within the taxon. We further used Bayesian clustering methods to assess major patterns of population structure and performed ecological niche modelling (ENM) to aid in our interpretation of geographic structure and diversification of E. coerulea lineages. Our phylogeographic examination of E. coerulea uncovered surprising diversity and structure, recovering 10 major lineages, each with substantial geographic substructure. While some divergences within the species are relatively old (Pliocene, 5.3–2.6 mya), most intraspecific variation appears to be of more recent origin (Pleistocene, 2.6 mya‐11,700 ya). Current diversity appears to have arisen in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and spread west and north since the Pliocene. Finally, our ENMs suggest that much of the Coast Ranges in California provided ideal habitat during the Last Glacial Maxima (LGM) that has since contracted dramatically and shifted northwards, whereas significant portions of the Sierra Nevada were unsuitable during the LGM and have since become more suitable. Interestingly, E. coerulea shares a number of genetic boundaries with other sympatric taxa, suggesting common historical events and geomorphological features have shaped the biota of this region.