An integrative approach to elucidate the taxonomic status of five species of Phymaturus Gravenhorst, 1837 (Squamata: Liolaemidae) from northwestern Patagonia, Argentina

BECKER, LEANDRO; BORETTO, JORGELINA; CABEZAS CARTES, FACUNDO; MARQUEZ, SEBASTIÁN; KUBISCH, ERIKA; SCOLARO, JOSÉ ALEJANDRO; SINERVO, BARRY; IBARGÜENGOYTÍA, NORA

ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2018 vol. 165 p. 268 - 282

0024-4082

The lizard genus Phymaturus comprises two reciprocally monophyleticclades: palluma and patagonicus. Species belonging to the patagonicusclade occur in extra-Andean Patagonia, some of them remaining withunresolved phylogenetic relationships after studies based on morphologicalas well as nuclear and mtDNA evidence. Here, we elucidate the taxonomicstatus of five putative species originally described according tomorphotypes based upon morphometric and meristic characteristics anddorsal colour pattern: P. agilis, P. excelsus, P. manuelae, P. spectabilis,and P. spurcus. We amplified a 657-bp fragment of COI mtDNA from 23individuals and a 2708-bp fragment of cytochrome b, ND1, ND2 and eighttRNAs from another 114 individuals. We found strong support for tworeciprocally monophyletic genetic lineages: a small clade for P. manuelaeand a large polytomic clade for the rest of the presumed species. Ahaplotype network analysis unveiled a deep genetic structure for lineagesin the large clade, suggesting morphological differences are a consequenceof population divergence. To complement the molecular analyses, weestimated morphotype proportions in populations and estimated morphheritability with the regression of offspring on females bearing speciestypicalphenotypes. Our results indicate that P. agilis, P. excelsus, P.spectabilis, and P. spurcus comprise a single highly-structured species.