Molecular and morphological assessment of Delma australis Kluge (Squamata: Pygopodidae), with a description of a new species from the biodiversity ‘hotspot’ of southwestern Western Australia

Maryan, Brad; Brennan, Ian G.; Adams, Mark A.; Aplin, Ken

doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3946.3.1

Cited by 5 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…We had originally intended to test the two subspecies of D. concinna (Kluge) in this study as well, but were limited by genetic material. Only a single tissue is available for D. concinna major, which was previously analysed in Maryan et al (2015). Those results showed very little difference between the two subspecies, but no firm conclusions could be drawn on three samples that were chosen as outgroups for the Delma australis group.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Taxonomic assessment of two pygopodoid gecko subspecies from Western Australia

Kealley

Doughty

Edwards

et al. 2020

Israel J. Ecol. Evol.

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Subspecies designations for herpetofauna in Western Australia were largely coined in the 20th century where rigorous evolutionary concepts to species were not consistently applied. Rather, subspecies tended to designate geographic populations of similar-looking taxa to nominate forms, usually differing in size, pattern or colour and, at best, a few scalation differences. Here we re-evaluate two pygopodoid taxa from Western Australia using a combination of published and original genetic data coupled with a reassessment of morphology. We review these differences in light of an integrative taxonomic approach that looks to find multiple independent lines of evidence to establish the evolutionary independence of populations. For the pygopod species Pletholax gracilis, we found consistent diagnostic characters (e.g. body size, visibility of ear opening, scalation) and a deep genetic divergence between the two subspecies. We therefore raise each subspecies to full species: P. gracilis and P. edelensis. The two subspecies of the carphodactylid gecko Nephrurus wheeleri were also assessed, and we found strong genetic and morphological evidence (e.g. body size, scalation, pattern) to raise these to full species: N. wheeleri and N. cinctus. By revisiting Storr’s morphological insights and newly acquired genetic evidence, in addition to a thorough re-examination of morphological traits, our study provides a robust foundation to raise Storr’s morphological subspecies into full species based upon multiple lines of evidence. Such an approach applied to other subspecies in the Australian herpetofauna also may result in revised taxonomies.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Taxonomic assessment of two pygopodoid gecko subspecies from Western Australia

Kealley

Doughty

Edwards

et al. 2020

Israel J. Ecol. Evol.

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“…1 in Maryan et al, 2015 ). To reconcile the taxonomy of D. australis with their phylogenetic results, Maryan et al (2015) described the southern Western Australia population of D. australis as a new species, Delma hebesa B Maryan, IG Brennan, M Adams, & KP Aplin.…”

Section: Intrageneric Relationships In the Pygopodidaementioning

confidence: 99%

“…6 and 7 ) thus providing strong evidence for this two-species group (Criterion 6; Table 2 ). Later, Maryan et al (2015) conducted a morphological and molecular investigation of the geographically variable D. australis . Interestingly, their mtDNA, nDNA, and concatenated mtDNA + nDNA trees all showed D. australis to be paraphyletic—some populations of D. australis were found to be the sister group to D. torquata while another population of D. australis , isolated in southern Western Australia, was the sister lineage to a D. australis / D. torquata clade (see Fig.…”

Section: Intrageneric Relationships In the Pygopodidaementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Interestingly, their mtDNA, nDNA, and concatenated mtDNA + nDNA trees all showed D. australis to be paraphyletic—some populations of D. australis were found to be the sister group to D. torquata while another population of D. australis , isolated in southern Western Australia, was the sister lineage to a D. australis / D. torquata clade (see Fig. 1 in Maryan et al, 2015 ). To reconcile the taxonomy of D. australis with their phylogenetic results, Maryan et al (2015) described the southern Western Australia population of D. australis as a new species, Delma hebesa B Maryan, IG Brennan, M Adams, & KP Aplin.…”

Section: Intrageneric Relationships In the Pygopodidaementioning

confidence: 99%

“…First, several studies were concerned with relationships among genera and majority of the species known at the time ( Kluge, 1976 ; Jennings, Pianka & Donnellan, 2003 ; Brennan, Bauer & Jackman, 2016 ; Brennan & Oliver, 2017 ; Skipwith, Bi & Oliver, 2019 ). Second, other studies attempted to resolve relationships within putative species groups and to describe new species ( James, Donnellan & Hutchinson, 2001 ; Maryan, Aplin & Adams, 2007 ; Oliver, Couper & Amey, 2010 ; Maryan, Bush & Adams, 2013 ; Maryan, How & Adams, 2013 ; Maryan, Adams & Aplin, 2015 ; Maryan et al, 2015 ; Kealley et al, 2020 ). “Species groups” are subjectively defined and presumably monophyletic groups (usually of closely-related congeneric species) that had been defined in previous taxonomic and phylogenetic studies on the basis of morphological and/or molecular evidence.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evolutionary relationships among the snakelike pygopodid lizards: a review of phylogenetic studies of an enigmatic Australian adaptive radiation

Jennings

2021

PeerJ

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Here, I review phylogenetic studies of the lizard family Pygopodidae, a group of 47 extant species that diversified in Australia and New Guinea. The goal of this study was to examine published phylogenetic and phylogenomic hypotheses on pygopodids to identify the strengths and weaknesses in our understanding of their phylogeny. Many parts of the pygopodid family tree are well established by multiple independent tree inferences including: (1) all multispecies genera (i.e., Aprasia, Delma, Lialis, Pletholax, and Pygopus) are monophyletic groups; (2) the root of the pygopodid tree is located along the branch leading to the Delma clade, thus showing that Delma is the sister group to all other pygopodid genera; (3) the Aprasia repens group, Delma tincta group, and several other groups of closely related species are demonstrated to be monophyletic entities; and (4) the monotypic Paradelma orientalis is the sister lineage to the Pygopus clade. Based on accumulated phylogenetic evidence, two taxonomic recommendations are given: Paradelma merits generic status rather than being subsumed into Pygopus as some earlier studies had suggested, and the monotypic Aclys concinna should be recognized as a member of Delma (following current practice) until future studies clarify its placement inside or outside the Delma clade. One chronic problem with phylogenetic studies of pygopodids, which has limited the explanatory power of many tree hypotheses, concerns the undersampling of known species. Although the continual addition of newly described species, especially over the past two decades, has been a major reason for these taxon sampling gaps, deficits in species sampling for ingroups and/or outgroups in several studies of pygopodid species complexes has confounded the testing of some ingroup monophyly hypotheses. Ancient hybridization between non-sister lineages may also be confounding attempts to recover the relationships among pygopodids using molecular data. Indeed, such a phenomenon can explain at least five cases of mito-nuclear discordance and conflicts among trees based on nuclear DNA datasets. Another problem has been the lack of consensus on the relationships among most pygopodid genera, an issue that may stem from rapid diversification of these lineages early in the group’s history. Despite current weaknesses in our understanding of pygopodid phylogeny, enough evidence exists to clarify many major and minor structural parts of their family tree. Accordingly, a composite tree for the Pygopodidae was able to be synthesized. This novel tree hypothesis contains all recognized pygopodid species and reveals that about half of the clades are corroborated by multiple independent tree hypotheses, while the remaining clades have less empirical support.

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Mitochondrial introgression via ancient hybridization, and systematics of the Australian endemic pygopodid gecko genus Delma

Brennan

Bauer

Jackman

2016

Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution

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Of the more than 1500 species of geckos found across six continents, few remain as unfamiliar as the pygopodids - Family Pygopodidae (Gray, 1845). These gekkotans are limited to Australia (44 species) and New Guinea (2 species), but have diverged extensively into the most ecologically diverse limbless radiation save Serpentes. Current phylogenetic understanding of the family has relied almost exclusively on two works, which have produced and synthesized an immense amount of morphological, geographical, and molecular data. However, current interspecific relationships within the largest genus Delma Gray 1831 are based chiefly upon data from two mitochondrial loci (16s, ND2). Here, we reevaluate the interspecific relationships within the genus Delma using two mitochondrial and four nuclear loci (RAG1, MXRA5, MOS, DYNLL1), and identify points of strong conflict between nuclear and mitochondrial genomic data. We address mito-nuclear discordance, and remedy this conflict by recognizing several points of mitochondrial introgression as the result of ancient hybridization events. Owing to the legacy value and intraspecific informativeness, we suggest the continued use of ND2 as a phylogenetic marker. Results identify strong support for species groups, but relationships among these clades, and the placement of several enigmatic taxa remain uncertain. We suggest a more careful review of Delma australis and the 'northwest Australia' clade. Accurately assessing and addressing species richness and relationships within this endemic Australian Gekkotan genus is relevant for understanding patterns of squamate speciation across the region.

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Molecular and morphological assessment of Delma australis Kluge (Squamata: Pygopodidae), with a description of a new species from the biodiversity ‘hotspot’ of southwestern Western Australia

Cited by 5 publications

References 32 publications

Taxonomic assessment of two pygopodoid gecko subspecies from Western Australia

Taxonomic assessment of two pygopodoid gecko subspecies from Western Australia

Evolutionary relationships among the snakelike pygopodid lizards: a review of phylogenetic studies of an enigmatic Australian adaptive radiation

Mitochondrial introgression via ancient hybridization, and systematics of the Australian endemic pygopodid gecko genus Delma

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