title: A multilocus phylogeny of Malagasy scincid lizards elucidates the relationships of the fossorial genera Androngo and Cryptoscincus.
abstract: A phylogeny for 29 species of scincine lizards from Madagascar, based on 3693 bp of six mitochondrial and five nuclear genes, revealed multiple parallel evolution of adaptations for a burrowing life, and unexpected relationships of the monotypic genera Androngo and Cryptoscincus. Androngo trivittatus was sister to Pygomeles braconnieri, and Cryptoscincus minimus was deeply nested within the genus Paracontias, all of these being fossorial taxa of elongated bodies and partly or fully reduced limbs. To account for these results, we place Cryptoscincus as a junior synonym of Paracontias, and discuss possible taxonomic consequences that may affect the status of Androngo, once additional data become available.
authors.affiliation: Zoological Institute, Technical University of Braunschweig, Spielmannstr. 8, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Angelica
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Crottini
authors.forename: Janina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dordel
authors.forename: Jörn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Köhler
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Glaw
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vences
mesh_terms: D000220:Adaptation, Biological / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D008116:Lizards / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D008270:Madagascar; D008390:Markov Chains; D008957:Models, Genetic; D010802:Phylogeny; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial