Project 2355: J. Smid, J. Moravec, V. Gvozdik, J. Stundl, D. Frynta, P. Lymberakis, P. Kapli, T. Wilms, A. Schmitz, M. Shobrak, S. Hosseinian Yousefkhani, E. Rastegar-Pouyani, A. M. Castilla, J. Els, W. Mayer. 2017. Cutting the Gordian Knot: Phylogenetic and ecological
diversification of the Mesalina brevirostris species complex
(Squamata, Lacertidae). Zoologica Scripta. 2017 (46):649-664.
Abstract
Mesalina are small lacertid lizards occurring in the Saharo-Sindian deserts from North Africa to the east of the Iranian plateau. Earlier phylogenetic studies indicated that there are several species complexes within the genus and that thorough taxonomic revisions are needed. In this study, we aim at resolving the phylogeny and taxonomy of the M. brevirostris species complex distributed from the Middle East to the Arabian/Persian Gulf region and Pakistan. We sequenced three mitochondrial and three nuclear gene fragments, and in combination with species delimitation and species-tree estimation, we infer a time-calibrated phylogeny of the complex. The results of the genetic analyses support the presence of four clearly delimited species in the complex that diverged approximately between the middle Pliocene and the Pliocene/Pleistocene boundary. Species distribution models of the four species show that the areas of suitable habitat are geographically well delineated and nearly allopatric, and that most of the species have rather divergent environmental niches. Morphological characters also confirm the differences between the species, although sometimes minute. As a result of all these lines of evidence, we revise the taxonomy of the Mesalina brevirostris species complex. We designate a lectotype for Mesalina brevirostris Blanford, 1874; resurrect the available name Eremias bernoullii Schenkel, 1901 from the synonymy of M. brevirostris; elevate M. brevirostris microlepis (Angel, 1936) to species status; and describe Mesalina saudiarabica, a new species from Saudi Arabia.Read the article »
Article DOI: 10.1111/zsc.12254
Project DOI: 10.7934/P2355, http://dx.doi.org/10.7934/P2355
This project contains |
---|
Download Project SDD File |
Currently Viewing:
MorphoBank Project 2355
MorphoBank Project 2355
- Creation Date:
09 February 2016 - Publication Date:
24 July 2017 - Project views: 63289
- Media downloads: 36
Authors' Institutions
- Natural History Museum of Crete
- Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Genève (Natural History Museum of Geneva)
- Charles University in Prague
- University of Crete
- Natural History Museum, Vienna (Naturhistorisches Museum, Wien)
- National Museum in Prague
- Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife
- Allwetterzoo Münster
- Taif University
- South African National Biodiversity Institute
- Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies
- Islamic Azad University
- Hakim Sabzevari University
- Hamad Bin Khalifa University
Members
member name | taxa | specimens | media |
Jiri Smid Project Administrator | 5 | 8 | 90 |
Project has no matrices defined.
Project views
type | number of views | Individual items viewed (where applicable) |
Total project views | 63289 | |
Project overview | 2408 | |
Media views | 47781 | Media search (3735 views); M407236 (513 views); M407318 (418 views); M407230 (569 views); M407234 (535 views); M407306 (463 views); M407309 (454 views); M407246 (513 views); M407249 (511 views); M407254 (525 views); M407255 (533 views); M407292 (458 views); M407310 (443 views); M407231 (518 views); M407241 (512 views); M407264 (486 views); M407315 (433 views); M407233 (532 views); M407272 (469 views); M407259 (551 views); M407284 (481 views); M407301 (473 views); M407303 (459 views); M407261 (487 views); M407296 (465 views); M407314 (444 views); M407250 (544 views); M407252 (477 views); M407283 (471 views); M407274 (484 views); M407279 (459 views); M407288 (421 views); M407251 (490 views); M407269 (512 views); M407265 (513 views); M407304 (453 views); M407245 (537 views); M407268 (515 views); M407243 (585 views); M407242 (500 views); M407294 (457 views); M407316 (486 views); M407297 (422 views); M407276 (507 views); M407275 (528 views); M407239 (523 views); M407278 (496 views); M407317 (456 views); M407313 (465 views); M407311 (480 views); M407289 (461 views); M407266 (526 views); M407260 (507 views); M407248 (548 views); M407287 (439 views); M407271 (506 views); M407295 (455 views); M407267 (515 views); M407308 (483 views); M407299 (503 views); M407293 (464 views); M407302 (442 views); M407277 (481 views); M407273 (439 views); M407286 (457 views); M407258 (519 views); M407280 (505 views); M407244 (520 views); M407253 (514 views); M407281 (461 views); M407300 (461 views); M407235 (532 views); M407282 (433 views); M407256 (544 views); M407237 (514 views); M407257 (515 views); M407247 (568 views); M407291 (473 views); M407305 (440 views); M407263 (512 views); M407285 (441 views); M410851 (435 views); M407307 (427 views); M407290 (454 views); M407232 (509 views); M407298 (474 views); M407270 (513 views); M407240 (522 views); M407262 (552 views); M407238 (520 views); M407312 (436 views); |
Documents list | 1056 | |
Views for media list | 2822 | |
Taxon list | 2923 | |
Specimen list | 5518 | |
Bibliography | 781 |
Project downloads
type | number of downloads | Individual items downloaded (where applicable) |
Total downloads from project | 231 | |
Media downloads | 36 | M407234 (1 download); M407230 (1 download); M407309 (2 downloads); M407303 (1 download); M407308 (2 downloads); M407311 (1 download); M407275 (1 download); M407236 (1 download); M407237 (1 download); M407241 (1 download); M407242 (1 download); M407244 (1 download); M407245 (1 download); M407246 (2 downloads); M407247 (2 downloads); M407249 (1 download); M407250 (1 download); M407251 (1 download); M407252 (1 download); M407253 (1 download); M407254 (1 download); M407257 (1 download); M407258 (1 download); M407260 (1 download); M407261 (1 download); M407262 (1 download); M407263 (1 download); M407264 (1 download); M407265 (1 download); M407266 (2 downloads); M407267 (1 download); |
Project downloads | 195 |