Population structure and history of a phenotypically variable teiid lizard (Ameiva chrysolaema) from Hispaniola: the influence of a geologically complex island.
Ameiva chrysolaema is distributed across the island of Hispaniola in the West Indies. The species is restricted to dry lowlands between major mountain ranges and along the southern and eastern coasts. Phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses of mtDNA sequence variation from 14 sampling localities identify at least three independent evolutionary lineages, separated from one another by major mountain ranges. Nested clade phylogeographic analysis (NCPA) suggests a complex history of population fragmentation, consistent with geological evidence of seawater incursions into the Azua and Enriquillo basins during the Pliocene/Pleistocene (approximately 1.6 mya). Significantly negative Fu's F(S) values and parameters of mismatch distributions suggest that formerly fragmented populations have recently expanded their ranges. Significantly large average population clade distances (APCD) for two sampling localities in the Azua basin suggest secondary contact at these localities of previously separated populations. The distribution of haplotypes among polymorphic populations of A. chrysolaema suggests that variation in dorsal pattern represents a polymorphism within evolutionary lineages. Ameiva leberi is ecologically indistinguishable from and syntopic with A. chrysolaema. Genetic data suggest that A. leberi is a junior synonym of A. chrysolaema.
Department of Biology, The University of Texas at Tyler, 3900 University Boulevard, Tyler, TX 75799, USA. gifford@biology2.wustl.edu
Matthew E
ME
Gifford
Robert
R
Powell
Allan
A
Larson
Ronald L
RL
Gutberlet
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D017931:DNA Primers; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D004293:Dominican Republic; D004777:Environment; D005828:Genetics, Population; D005843:Geography; D055593:Geological Phenomena; D005844:Geology; D006239:Haplotypes / Q000235:genetics; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008116:Lizards / Q000235:genetics*; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D017931:DNA Primers; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal