Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Type: Articles
Published: 2009-09-17
Page range: 56–68
Abstract views: 122
PDF downloaded: 1

Evidence of cryptic speciation in a fossorial reptile: description of a new species of Blanus (Squamata: Amphisbaenia: Blanidae) from the Iberian Peninsula

Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva. Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain Pressent address: Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC. c/. Américo Vespucio, s/n 41092 Sevilla, Spain
Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva. Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
Reptilia Blanus mariae sp. nov. cryptic species ND4 16S nuclear markers worm lizards morphometrics Blanus cinereus Iberian Peninsula

Abstract

A recent phylogeographic study using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA revealed the presence of two well defined allopatric clades of Blanus cinereus in the Iberian Peninsula. Using both univariate and multivariate statistical analyses, we show evidence of morphological differentiation between the two clades. Despite the lack of visually diagnosable morphological characters, the morphological and molecular data suggest that differentiation between the two clades was significantly enough to prevent in the past gene flow and therefore to warrant a specific status for each of the two clades. We suggest that the constraints of the subterranean life could increase the chances of experiencing cryptic speciation in worm lizards. In order to establish a taxonomic re-arrangement for the Iberian Blanus we designate a lectotype for B. cinereus from populations of central Iberia and describe a new species; Blanus mariae sp. nov. from southwestern regions of the Iberian Peninsula.

References

  1. Albert, E.M., Zardoya, R. & García-París, M. (2007) Phylogeographic and speciation patterns in subterranean worm lizards of the genus Blanus (Amphisbaenia: Blanidae). Molecular Ecology 16, 1519–1531.

    Alexandre, A. (1966) Taxonomy and Variation of Blanus strauchi (Amphisbaenia, Reptilia). Copeia 2, 205–224.

    Avise, J.C. (2000) Phylogeography: the history and formation of species. Harvard University Press. USA.

    Avise, J.C. (1994) Molecular markers, natural history and evolution. New York: Chapman and Hall.

    Avise, J.C. & Ball, R.M. (1990) Principles of genealogical concordance in species concepts and biological taxonomy. Oxford Surveys in Evolutionary Biology 7, 45–67.

    Ballard, J.W.O. & Whitlock, M.C. (2004) The incomplete natural history of mitochondria. Molecular Ecology 13, 729–744.

    Bedriaga, J.V. (1884) Amphisbaena cinerea Vand. und A. strauchi V. Bedr. Erster beitrag zur Kentnis der Doppelscheichen. Archiv für Naturgeschichte 50, 23–77.

    Bond, J.E., Hedin, M.C. Ramirez, M.G. & Opell, B.D. (2001) Deep molecular divergence in the absence of morphological and ecological change in the Californian coastal dune endemic trapdoor spider Aptostichus simus. Molecular Ecology 10, 899–910.

    Bons, J. (1963) Note sur Blanus cinereus (Vandelli). Description d´une sous-espèce marocaine: Blanus cinereus mettetali ssp. nov. Bulletin of the Societé des Sciences Naturelles et Physiques du Maroc 53, 63–110.

    Boulenger, G.A. (1884) Descriptions of new species of reptiles and batrachians in the British Museum. Part Il. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (5) 13: 396-398

    Brumfield, R.T., Beerli, P., Nickerson, D.A. & Edwards, S.V. (2003) The utility of single nucleotide polymorphism in inferences of population history. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 18, 249–256.

    Bruna, E.M., Fisher, R.N. & Case, T. J. (1996) Morphological and genetic evolution appear decoupled in pacific skinks (Squamata: Scincidae: Emoia). Proceedings of the Royal society of London, serie B 263, 681–688.

    Busack, S.D. (1988) Biochemical and morphological differentiation in Spanish and Moroccan populations of Blanus and the description of a new species from northern Morocco (Reptilia, Amphisbaenia, Amphisbaenidae). Copeia 1,101–109.

    Couper, P.J., Wilmer, J.W. Roberts, L. Amey, A.P. & Zug, G.R. (2005) Skinks currently assigned to Carlia aerata (Scincidae: Lygosominae) of north-eastern Queensland: a preliminary study of cryptic diversity and two new species. Australian Journal of Zoology 53, 35–49.

    Darwin, C. (1859) On the origin of species. London: John Murray.

    Fernandez, C.C., Shevock, J.R. Glazer, A.N. & Thompson, J.N. (2006) Cryptic species within the cosmopolitan desiccation-tolerant moss Grimmia laevigata. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 103, 637–642.

    Fitch, H.S. (1981) Sexual size differences in reptiles. Miscellaneous Publications of the Natural History of the University of Kansas 70, 1–72.

    Gans, C. (1967) A check list of the recent amphisbaenians (Amphisbaenia, Reptilia). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 135, 61–105.

    Gans, C. (2005) Checklist and bibliography of the amphisbaenia of the world. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 289, 1–130.

    Gómez, A., & Lunt, D.H. (2007) Refugia within refugia: Patterns of phylogeographic concordance in the Iberian Peninsula. In: S. Weiss and N. Ferrand (Eds.), Phylogeography of southern European refugee. Dordrecht: Springer, pp. 155–188.

    Hare, M.P. (2001) Prospects for nuclear gene phylogeography. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 12, 700–706.

    Ibañez, C., García-Mudarra, J.L. , Ruedi, M., Stadelmann, B. & Juste, J. (2006) The Iberian contribution to cryptic diversity in European bats. Acta Chiropterologica 8, 277–297.

    Kearney, M. (2003) Systematics of the amphisbaenia (Lepidosauria: Squamata) based on morphological evidence from recent and fossil forms. Herpetological Monographs 17, 1–74.

    Martínez-Solano, I. (2004) Phylogeography of Iberian Discoglossus (Anura, Discoglossidae). Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research 42, 298–305

    Martínez-Solano, I., Gonçalves, H.A. Arntzen, J.W. & García-París, M. (2004) Phylogenetic relationships and biogeography of midwife toads (Discoglossidae: Alytes) Journal of Biogeography 31, 603–618.

    Mensi, P., Lattes, A., Cassuolo, L. & Balletto, E. (1994) Biochemical taxonomy and evolutionary relationships in Polyommatus (subgenus Agrodiaetus) (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae). Nota Lepidopterologica (Supplement) 5, 105–114.

    Morin, P.A., Luikart, G. & Wayne, R.K. (2004) SNPs in ecology, evolution and conservation. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 19, 208–216.

    Mulcahy, D.G., Spaulding, A.W., Mendelson III, J.R. & Brodie Jr, E.D. (2006) Phylogeography of the flat-tailed horned lizard (Phrynosoma mcallii) and systematics of the P. mcallii-platyrhinos mtDNA complex. Molecular Ecology 15, 1807–1826.

    Sáez, A.G., Probet, I. Geisen, M. Quinn, P. Young, J. R. & Medlin, L.K. (2003) Pseudo-cryptic speciation in coccolithophores. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 100, 7163–7168.

    Scott, I. A.W., Keogh, J.S. & Whiting, M.J. (2004) Shifting sands and shifty lizards: molecular phylogeny and biogeography of African flat lizards (Platysaurus). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 31, 618–629.

    Sturmbauer, C. & Meyer, A. (1992) Genetic divergence and morphological stasis in a lineage of African cichlid fishes. Nature 358, 578–581.

    Vandelli, D. (1797) Flora et fauna Lusitanicae specimen. Memories de l´Academie des Science de Lisboa 1, 37–79.

    Vasconcelos, R., Carretero, M.A & Harris, D.J. (2006) Phylogeography of the genus Blanus (worm lizards) in Iberia and Morocco based on mitochondrial and nuclear markers-preliminary analysis. Amphibia-Reptilia 27, 339–346.

    Vawter, L. & Brown, W.M. (1986) Nuclear and mitochondrial comparisons reveal extreme variation in the molecular clock. Science 234, 194–196.

    Werner, F. (1898) Über einige neue Reptilien und einen neuen Frosch aus dem cilicischen Taurus. Zool. Anz. 21 (555): 217-223.

    Zhang, D. & Hewitt, G.M. (2003) Nuclear DNA analyses in genetic studies of populations: practice, problems and prospects. Molecular Ecology 12, 563–584.