Phylogeny, time divergence, and historical biogeography of the South American Liolaemusalticolor-bibronii group (Iguania: Liolaemidae)

PORTELLI SABRINA NOELIA; QUINTEROS, ANDRÉS SEBASTIÁN

PeerJ

PeerJ

Año: 2018 vol. 2018

2167-8359

The genus Liolaemus comprises more than 260 species and can be divided in two subgenera: Eulaemus and Liolaemus sensu stricto.In this paper, we present a phylogenetic analysis, divergence times, and ancestral distribution ranges of the Liolaemus alticolo rbibronii group (Liolaemussensustricto subgenus). We inferred a total evidence phylogeny combining molecular(Cytband12Sgenes)and morphological characters using Maximum Parsimony and Bayesian Inference. Divergence times were calculated using Bayesian MCMC with an uncorrelated lognormal distributed relaxed clock,calibrated with a fossil record. Ancestral ranges were estimated using the Dispersal-ExtinctionCladogenesis (DEC-Lagrange). Effects of some a priori parameters of DEC were also tested. Distribution ranged from central Perú to southern Argentina, including areas at sea level up to the high Andes. The L.alticolor-bibronii group was recovered as monophyletic, formed by two clades: L.walkeri and L.gracilis, the latter can be split intwogroups. Additionally, many species candidates were recognized. We estimate that the L.alticolor-bibronii group diversified 14.5Myr ago, during the Middle Miocene. Our results suggest that the ancestor of the Liolaemus alticolor-bibronii group was distributed in a wide area including Patagonia and Puna high lands. The speciation pattern follows theSouth-North Diversification Hypothesis, following the Andean uplift.