A multi-locus molecular phylogeny for Australia’s iconic Jacky Dragon (Agamidae: Amphibolurus muricatus): Phylogeographic structure along the Great Dividing Range of south-eastern Australia
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Date
2014Author
Pepper, Mitzy
Barquero Arroyo, Marco David
Whiting, Martin J.
Keogh, J. Scott
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Jacky dragons (Amphibolurus muricatus) are ubiquitous in south-eastern Australia and were one of the
first Australian reptiles to be formally described. Because they are so common, Jacky dragons are widely
used as a model system for research in evolutionary biology and ecology. In addition, their distribution
along the Great Dividing Range of eastern Australia provides an opportunity to examine the influence
of past biogeographical processes, particularly the expansion and contraction of forest habitats, on the
diversification of this iconic agamid lizard. We generated sequence data for two mitochondrial and three
nuclear DNA loci (4251base pairs) for 62 Jacky dragons sampled from throughout their distribution. Phylogenetic
analyses based on maximum likelihood and Bayesian species-tree methods revealed five geographically
structured clades separated by up to 6% mitochondrial and 0.7% nuclear sequence
divergence. We also quantified body proportion variation within and between these genetic clades for
more than 500 specimens and found no evidence of any significant differentiation in body proportions
across their range. Based on body proportion homogeneity and lack of resolution in the nuclear loci,
we do not support taxonomic recognition of any of the mitochondrial clades. Instead, A. muricatus is best
thought of as a single species with phylogeographic structure. The genetic patterns observed in the Jacky
dragon are consistent with fragmented populations reduced to multiple refugia during cold, arid phases
when forested habitats were greatly restricted. Consequently, the inferred biogeographic barriers for this
taxon appear to be in line with lowland breaks in the mountain ranges. Our results are congruent with
studies of other reptiles, frogs, mammals, birds and invertebrates, and together highlight the overarching
effects of widespread climatic and habitat fluctuations along the Great Dividing Range since the Pliocene.
External link to the item
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2013.11.012Collections
- Biología [1644]