Geographic Patterns in Genetic and Morphological Variation in Two Skink Species Along the Banda Arcs, Southeastern Indonesia

Linc Schmitt, R.A. How, S. Hisheh, J. Goldberg, I. Maryanto

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    10 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    In contrast to many other species examined in Wallacea, the patterns of genetic (allozyme) and morphological variation of two skink species revealed only moderate concordance with their geographical arrangements. Initial analyses of genetic and morphometric variation in Lamprolepsis smaragdina revealed the taxonomic separateness of islands in the northeast (Bandaneira, Kai Besar, and Ambon) from those in the south and southwest. The relationship between these two tars and L. smaragdina, sensu stricto has yet to be determined. Genetic variation in the southern species revealed two clusters of populations, corresponding, with one exception, to the Inner and Outer Banda Arcs. No such arrangement is seen in morphological variation, with poor discrimination of islands evidenced by substantial overlap of island ranges in canonical space. Nonetheless, there are three associations between canonical variates and island location (latitude and longitude) revealing the existence of some underlying, but weak, geographic patterning. In Mabuya multifasciata, genetic variation within islands tends to decline from west to east, a trend seen in several other species in this region. Ordination of a genetic distance matrix revealed an association between the third axis and longitude. There was little morphological differentiation, with large overlaps in island ranges in canonical space and no geographic-associated patterning. There is no evidence of concordance between genetic and morphometric patterning within either Lamprolepsis,is or M. multifasciata over their extensive ranges.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)240-258
    JournalJournal of Herpetology
    Volume34
    Issue number2
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2000

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