Phylogenetic Relationships of Eublepharid Geckos (Reptilia: Squamata): A Molecular Approach

Phylogenetic analyses were carried out for representatives of all eublepharid genera and afew other gekkonoid taxa using sequence data for 879 base pairs of mitochondrial 12S and 16S ribosomalRNA genes. Neighbor-joining (NJ) distance analysis of the data suggested independent great divergencesof Coleonyx and Aeluroscalabotes, and monophyly of the remainder within Eublepharidae (bootstrap proportion[BP]=76%). Of the latter, the two African genera, Hemitheconyx and Holodactylus, were almost certainlymonophyletic altogether (BP=99%), whereas their sister-group relationship with Eublepharis received a weaker,but still substantial support (BP=68%). Within Goniurosaurus kuroiwae, G. k. splendens first diverged fromthe remainder (BP=100%), followed by G. k. kuroiwae from the northern part of Okinawajima (BP=100%): G.k. kuroiwae from the southern part of Okinawajima and G. k. orientalis, differing from each other at onlyseven bases, diverged finally (BP=99%). Parsimony analysis yielded results consistent with those of NJanalysis with respect to the monophyly of the two African genera and relationships within G. kuroiwae, butretained the other relationships within Eublepharidae unresolved. Our results, while showing no seriousdiscrepancies with the relationships among eublepharid genera hypothesized from morphological data, casta serious doubt to the currently accepted population systematics within G. kuroiwae. Furthermore, results ofboth analyses suggested a closer affinity of Diplodactylinae (as represented by Rhacodactylus trachyrhynchus)with Eublepharidae, rather than with Gekkoninae. Our study lends a robust support to the Laurasian origin ofthe family Eublepharidae