title: The phylogeny of xantusiid lizards: the concern for analysis in the search for a best estimate of phylogeny.
abstract: In the onrush of molecular-based phylogenetic hypotheses, previous morphological-based phylogenies are being ignored, discarded, or even treated with disdain. Coupled with this implicit superiority of molecular data is the sometimes tendency to construct a phylogeny from the molecular data with less than analytical rigor. This paper examines the phylogenetic relationships within the lizard family Xantusiidae employing both molecular and morphological data. The analysis focuses on four analytical points of the molecular data and on the phylogenetics synthesis of the two data sets. We conclude that the phylogeny of xantusiid lizards is not yet a robust hypothesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond 70402.
authors.forename: B I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Crother
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Presch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003573:Cytochrome b Group / Q000235:genetics; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005821:Genetic Techniques; D008116:Lizards / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D008957:Models, Genetic; D010802:Phylogeny; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D003573:Cytochrome b Group; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal; C075526:RNA, ribosomal, 12S