Phylogenomic data resolve higher-level relationships within South American Liolaemus lizards

MORANDO, MARIANA; OLAVE, MELISA; AVILA, LUCIANO J.; SITES, JACK W.; LEACHÉ, ADAM D.

MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION

ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE

Año: 2020 vol. 147

1055-7903

Phylogenomic approaches now generate hundreds of loci representative of the whole genome that can be usedfor phylogenetic analyses. The South American lizard genus Liolaemus is the most species-rich vertebrate radiationfrom temperate zones (more than 265 described species), yet most higher-level phylogenetic relationshipswithin Liolaemus remain poorly resolved. In this study, we used 584 nuclear loci collected using targetedsequenced capture to estimate the phylogenetic relationships among 26 species representing the two subgenerawithin Liolaemus (Eulaemus+Liolaemus), and all major groups within Eulaemus. Previous molecular and morphological-based phylogenetic analyses of Eulaemus based on a limited number of characters resolved fewhigher-level relationships, although one point of agreement is that the early divergence within Eulaemus correspondsto the lineomaculatus section, followed by the diversification of eight main clades that are stronglysupported and recognized. Liolaemus probably experienced relatively rapid divergences during parts of itsevolutionary history, and a phylogenomic approach was used to resolve the relationships among the majorgroups. The new analyses presented here support the division of Liolaemus into two subgenera, and resolverelationships among many of the major clades of Eulaemus with strong support. A Bayesian divergence datinganalysis using 44 protein-coding genes provides an estimation of the split of the two Liolaemus subgenera ofapproximately 19,7 ma (95% HPD=16,94?23,04), while diversification within Eulaemus started at 15,05 ma(95% HPD=12,94 ? 17,59) among the L. lineomaculatus and the L. montanus series by Mid Miocene. A novelphylogenetic network analyses for SNP data identified two hybridizing edges among different groups of Eulaemusat different points in time. Having a solid phylogenetic hypothesis of the main Eulaemus clades opens newopportunities to test a variety of macroevolutionary questions for this unique radiation.