Molecular evidence for the phylogeny of Australian gekkonoid lizards

Partial sequences of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA and nuclear c-mos genes wer e determined for 12 species of gekkonoid lizards representing the four majo r taxa of the Australian region, the Diplodactylini and Carphodactylini (fo rming the subfamily Diplodactylinae), the Pygopodidae and the Gekkoninae. O ne further species represented a non-Australian gekkonoid lineage, the Eubl epharinae. The combined sequence data were used to reconstruct the underlyi ng molecular phylogeny. We used the molecular phylogeny to test the monophy ly of the diplodactyline tribes and conflicting hypotheses of relationships of the pygopods and of the genus Oedura. Monophyly of the Diplodactylinae is supported, while pygopods form a monophyletic sister lineage to all Dipl odactylinae. The molecular data support tie monophyly of the Diplodactylini , with Oedura firmly placed as a diplodactylin. Monophyly of die Carphodact ylini is not supported. The four carphodactylin genera form a paraphyletic cluster at the base of the Diplodactylini. Pygopods are nested within the t raditional Gekkonidae and pygopods plus diplodactylines form a well-support ed monophyletic group with respect to the remaining gekkonoids, the gekkoni nes and eublepharines. (C) 1999 The Linnean Society of London.