RESEARCH ARTICLE Distinct Patterns of Desynchronized Limb Regression in Malagasy Scincine Lizards

Scincine lizards in Madagascar form an endemic clade of about 60 species exhibiting a vari-ety of ecomorphological adaptations. Several subclades have adapted to burrowing and convergently regressed their limbs and eyes, resulting in a variety of partial and completely limbless morphologies among extant taxa. However, patterns of limb regression in these taxa have not been studied in detail. Here we fill this gap in knowledge by providing a phylo-genetic analysis of DNA sequences of three mitochondrial and four nuclear gene fragments in an extended sampling of Malagasy skinks, and microtomographic analyses of osteology of various burrowing taxa adapted to sand substrate. Based on our data we propose to (i) consider Sirenoscincus Sakata & Hikida, 2003, as junior synonym of Voeltzkowia Boettger, 1893; (ii) resurrect the genus nameGrandidierinaMocquard, 1894, for four species previ-ously included in Voeltzkowia; and (iii) consider Androngo Brygoo, 1982, as junior synonym of PygomelesGrandidier, 1867. By supporting the clade consisting of the limbless Voeltzko-wia mira and the forelimb-only taxa V.mobydickand V. yamagishii, our data indicate that full regression of limbs and eyes occurred in parallel twice in the genus Voeltzkowia (as hithert