An Integrative Taxonomic Revision of the Cape Verdean Skinks (Squamata, Scincidae)
Zoologica Scripta An integrative taxonomic revision of the Cape Verdean skinks (Squamata, Scincidae) AURE´ LIEN MIRALLES*, RAQUEL VASCONCELOS*, ANA PERERA,DAVID J. HARRIS &SALVADOR CARRANZA Submitted: 12 March 2010 Miralles, A., Vasconcelos, R., Perera, A., Harris, D. J. & Carranza, S. (2010). An integra- Accepted: 15 September 2010 tive taxonomic revision of the Cape Verdean skinks (Squamata, Scincidae). — Zoologica doi:10.1111/j.1463-6409.2010.00453.x Scripta, 00, 000–000. A comprehensive taxonomic revision of the Cape Verdean skinks is proposed based on an integrative approach combining (i) a phylogenetic study pooling all the previously pub- lished molecular data, (ii) new population genetic analyses using mitochondrial and nuclear data resulting from additional sampling, together with (iii) a morphological study based on an extensive examination of the scalation and colour patterns of 516 live and museum spec- imens, including most of the types. All Cape Verdean species of skinks presently recogni- sed, formerly regarded as members of the genera Mabuya Fitzinger, 1826 and Macroscincus Bocage, 1873 are considered as members of the Cape Verdean endemic genus Chioninia Gray, 1845. The new phylogeny and networks obtained are congruent with the previously published phylogenetic studies, although suggesting older colonization events (between 11.6 and 0.8 Myr old), and indicate the need for taxonomic changes. Intraspecific diversity has been analysed and points to a very recent expansion of Chioninia delalandii on the southern islands and its introduction on Maio, to a close connection between Chioninia stangeri island populations due to Pleistocene sea-level falls and to a generally low haplo- typic diversity due to the ecological and geological characteristics of the archipelago.
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