title: Molecular phylogenetic relationships among species of the Malagasy-Comoran gecko genus Paroedura (Squamata: Gekkonidae).
abstract: We use approximately 3100bp of mitochondrial (ND2, ND4) and nuclear (RAG1, phosducin) DNA sequence data to recover phylogenetic relationships among 14 of the 16 recognized taxa of the lizard genus Paroedura as well as two undescribed forms. These geckos are endemic to Madagascar and the Comores and are popularly kept and bred by herpetoculturalists. The closest relative of Paroedura is another Indian Ocean leaf-toed gecko, Ebenavia. Both Bayesian inference and maximum parsimony strongly support the monophyly of two major clades within Paroedura that conflict with existing species group assignments based on scale characteristics. Our well-resolved tree elucidates a biogeographic pattern in which eastern Paroedura are most basal and western and south-western species form a monophyletic group. Our data demonstrate the phylogenetic utility of phosducin, a novel marker in squamate phylogenetics, at the intrageneric level.
authors: Department of Biology, Villanova University, 800 Lancaster Ave., Villanova, PA 19085, USA. todd.jackman@villanova.edu
authors: Todd R
authors: TR
authors: Jackman
authors: Aaron M
authors: AM
authors: Bauer
authors: Eli
authors: E
authors: Greenbaum
authors: Frank
authors: F
authors: Glaw
authors: Miguel
authors: M
authors: Vences
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D020555:GTP-Binding Protein Regulators / Q000235:genetics; D050259:Genes, Mitochondrial; D008116:Lizards / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D005136:Eye Proteins; D020555:GTP-Binding Protein Regulators; D010750:Phosphoproteins; C065631:phosducin