Diversification and Demography of the Oriental Garden Lizard (Calotes versicolor) on Hainan Island and the Adjacent Mainland

Abstract

The Oriental garden lizard (Calotes versicolor) is one of the few non-gekkonid lizards that are geographically widespread in the tropics. We investigated its population dynamics on Hainan Island and the adjacent mainland of China and Vietnam, focusing on the impact of cyclic upheaval and submergence of land bridges during the Pleistocene. Our Bayesian phylogenetic analysis reveals two mitochondrial lineages, A and B, which are estimated to have coalesced about 0.26 million years ago (95% credibility interval: 0.05–0.61 million years ago). Lineage A contains individuals mainly from central and southern Wuzhi Mountain on Hainan Island, whereas lineage B mainly comprises individuals from other sites on the island plus the adjacent mainland. The estimated coalescence times within lineages A (0.05 million years ago) and B (0.13 million years ago) fall within a period of cyclical land-bridge formation and disappearance in the Pleistocene. A spatial analysis of molecular variance identified two distinct population groupings: I, primarily containing lineage A, and II, mainly consisting of lineage B. However, haplotypes from lineages A and B occur sympatrically, suggesting that gene flow is ongoing. Neither Wuzhi Mountain nor Qiongzhou Strait and Gulf of Tonkin act as barriers to gene flow among C. versicolor populations. Analyses of the data using mismatch distributions and extended Bayesian skyline plots provide evidence of a relatively stable population size through time for Group I, and moderate population expansions and contractions during the end of the Pleistocene for Group II. We conclude that the phylogeographical patterns of C. versicolor are the combined product of Pleistocene sea-level oscillations and nonphysical barriers to gene flow.

Spatial genetic structure of the cyprinid fish Onychostoma lepturum on Hainan Island

“…However, the AMOVA analysis indicates that most of the genetic variation was not distributed between these two groups (Table 3). In the phylogeographical studies of lizards Huang et al 2013), the effects of the WY Range were uncertain. Although Lin et al (2010) considered the WY Range to be an important barrier, Huang et al (2013) did not support this hypothesis.…”

“…In the phylogeographical studies of lizards Huang et al 2013), the effects of the WY Range were uncertain. Although Lin et al (2010) considered the WY Range to be an important barrier, Huang et al (2013) did not support this hypothesis. Our study considered that the WY Range might have interrupted migrations between the two sides, but the current genetic structures of O. lepturum were not affected by this vicariance event.…”

“…Lin et al (2010) found that the WY Range was an important barrier based on the population structure of the Reeves's butterfly lizard. However, Huang et al (2013) suggested that the WY Range did not act as a barrier to gene flow among populations of the oriental garden lizard (Calotes versicolor). Moreover, the four largest rivers on the island, the Nandu, Changhua, Wanquan and Lingshui Rivers, originate from the central mountainous area and flow outwards into the Qiongzhou Strait, South China Sea and Gulf of Tonkin ( Figure 1).…”

Ecological divergence of Chaetopteryx rugulosa species complex (Insecta, Trichoptera) linked to climatic niche diversification

“…climate, bedrock geology) and 89 phylogeny to quantify environmental niche differences between genetically defined lineages across 90 geographic scales (e.g. Graham et al, 2004;Rissler & Apodaca, 2007;Huang et al, 2013;Zhang et al, 91 2014). By examining the spatial pattern of environmental parameters it is possible to assess whether 92 ecologically mediated divergent selection is consistently associated with speciation (Graham et al, 2004).…”

A new species of the genus Odorrana (Amphibia: Ranidae) and the first record of Odorrana bacboensis from China

“…Sea level oscillation due to glacial-interglacial climate fluctuations is believed to occur between Hainan Island and its nearby mainland during the Quaternary period (Voris 2000). Previous studies demonstrate that these series of geological dynamics can promote either isolation or gene flow in variable animals, including insects, reptiles, birds and mammals Huang et al 2013;Lin et al 2013) …”