When did anoles diverge? An analysis of multiple dating strategies

Publication date: Available online 15 June 2018Source: Molecular Phylogenetics and EvolutionAuthor(s): Cristian Román-Palacios, Jose Tavera, María del Rosario CastañedaAbstractWhereas most of the studies that discuss the evolutionary divergence of Anolis lizards have dated the clade’s crown group in between 31 and 64 Ma, a single study has recovered a significantly older age for the same node (87 Ma). These differences also entail notable consequences on the preferred biogeographical hypothesis for the whole clade. Here we analyze a total of seven dating strategies by combining three calibration sources in independent BEAST runs to infer the most probable divergence timing for anole lizards (a mitochondrial rate for ND2 gene, the Anolis dominicanus fossil, and a group of fossils assigned to the Priscagamines, Iguanines, and Idontosaurus clades). Based on the estimated timing, we also addressed whether chronograms differ the most in deeper or shallower nodes by exploring the trend in the standard deviation of mean ages between chronograms across time. Next, we focus on the pattern for a single shallow node by hypothesizing the biogeography of the island-endemic Malpelo anole (Anolis agassizi), and evaluating the temporal congruence between the species’ divergence and the island geology. The estimated set of ages suggests that anoles most likely diverged 72 Ma (71–73 Ma), with the crown group established around 58 Ma (51–65 Ma). Dispersal is therefore sup...

Source: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution - July 10, 2018 Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research