Slow and steady wins the race : Diversification rate is independent from body size and lifestyle in Malagasy skinks (Squamata: Scincidae: Scincinae)
Belluardo, Francesco (Universidade do Porto. Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos)
Muñoz-Pajares, A. Jesus (Universidad de Granada. Departamento de Genética)
Miralles, Aurélien (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. Sorbonne Université. Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité)
Silvestro, Daniele (University of Gothenburg. Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences)
Cocca, Walter (Universidade do Porto. Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos)
Ratsoavina, Fanomezana Mihaja (Université d'Antananarivo. Domaine Sciences et Technologies. Mention Zoologie et Biodiversité Animale)
Villa, Andrea (Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont)
Hyde Roberts, Sam (Oxford Brookes University)
Mezzasalma, Marcello (Università della Calabria. Dipartimento di Biologia, Ecologia e Scienze della Terra)
Zizka, Alexander (Philipps-University Marburg. Department of Biology)
Antonelli, Alexandre (University of Gothenburg. Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences)
Crottini, Angelica (Universidade do Porto. Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos)

Date:	2023
Abstract:	Most of the unique and diverse vertebrate fauna that inhabits Madagascar derives from in situ diversification from colonisers that reached this continental island through overseas dispersal. The endemic Malagasy Scincinae lizards are amongst the most species-rich squamate groups on the island. They colonised all bioclimatic zones and display many ecomorphological adaptations to a fossorial (burrowing) lifestyle. Here we propose a new phylogenetic hypothesis for their diversification based on the largest taxon sampling so far compiled for this group. We estimated divergence times and investigated several aspects of their diversification (diversification rate, body size and fossorial lifestyle evolution, and biogeography). We found that diversification rate was constant throughout most of the evolutionary history of the group, but decreased over the last 6-4 million years and independently from body size and fossorial lifestyle evolution. Fossoriality has evolved from fully quadrupedal ancestors at least five times independently, which demonstrates that even complex morphological syndromes - in this case involving traits such as limb regression, body elongation, modification of cephalic scalation, depigmentation, and eyes and ear-opening regression - can evolve repeatedly and independently given enough time and eco-evolutionary advantages. Initial diversification of the group likely occurred in forests, and the divergence of sand-swimmer genera around 20 Ma appears linked to a period of aridification. Our results show that the large phenotypic variability of Malagasy Scincinae has not influenced diversification rate and that their rich species diversity results from a constant accumulation of lineages through time. By compiling large geographic and trait-related datasets together with the computation of a new time tree for the group, our study contributes important insights on the diversification of Malagasy vertebrates.
Grants:	Agencia Estatal de Investigación FCI2019-039443-I
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, i la comunicació pública de l'obra, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original. No es permet la creació d'obres derivades.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Biogeography ; Evolutionary radiations ; Fossoriality ; In situ diversification ; Islands ; Madagascar
Published in:	Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Vol. 178 (January 2023) , art. 107635, ISSN 1095-9513

DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107635

18 p, 8.6 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles