Title

Using morphological and molecular evidence to infer species boundaries within Proctoporus bolivianus werner (Squamata : Gymnophthalmidae)

Authors

Authors

T. M. Doan;T. A. Castoe

Abbreviated Journal Title

Herpetologica

Keywords

Andes; cryptic species; cusco; Gymnophthalmidae; new species; Peru; Proctoporus bolivianus; Proctoporus sucullucu; Proctoporus unsaacae; South America; Squamata; Taxonomy; PHOLIDOBOLUS SAURIA; MITOCHONDRIAL-DNA; GENE TREES; SUBSTITUTION; PHYLOGENIES; CHARACTERS; EVOLUTION; CLASSIFICATION; SCELOPORUS; SEQUENCES; Zoology

Abstract

Proctoporus bolivianus is a gymnoplithalmid lizard species that occurs at high elevations in the Andes Mountains of southern Peru and Bolivia. Extensive morphological variation in populations collected in the Department of Cusco, Peru, suggested the presence of cryptic species. To assess this possibility, we reconstructed morphological and molecular phylogenies of 13 populations of this species and also used a character-based approach to examine the morphology in more detail. We found P. bolivianus to be composed of three distinct lineages that are separated by substantial genetic distances. We erect two new species to contain unnamed lineages within the P. bolivianus complex. These three species are found within a small geographic area and are likely differentiated because of historical geographic barriers in the extreme landscape of the central Andes.

Journal Title

Herpetologica

Volume

59

Issue/Number

3

Publication Date

1-1-2003

Document Type

Article

Language

English

First Page

432

Last Page

449

WOS Identifier

WOS:000185438400012

ISSN

0018-0831

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