Geographic patterns in genetic and morphological variation in two skink species along the Banda Arcs, southeastern Indonesia

In contrast to many other species examined in Wallacea, the patterns of gen etic (allozyme) and morphological variation of two skink species revealed o nly moderate concordance with their geographical arrangements. Initial anal yses of genetic and morphometric variation in Lamprolepsis smaragdina revea led the taxonomic separateness of islands in the northeast (Bandaneira, Kai Besar, and Ambon) from those in the south and southwest. The relationship between these two tars and L. smaragdina, sensu stricto has yet to be deter mined. Genetic variation in the southern species revealed two clusters of p opulations, corresponding, with one exception, to the Inner and Outer Banda Arcs. No such arrangement is seen in morphological variation, with poor di scrimination of islands evidenced by substantial overlap of island ranges i n canonical space. Nonetheless, there are three associations between canoni cal variates and island location (latitude and longitude) revealing the exi stence of some underlying, but weak, geographic patterning. In Mabuya multi fasciata, genetic variation within islands tends to decline from west to ea st, a trend seen in several other species in this region. Ordination of a g enetic distance matrix revealed an association between the third axis and l ongitude. There was little morphological differentiation, with large overla ps in island ranges in canonical space and no geographic-associated pattern ing. There is no evidence of concordance between genetic and morphometric p atterning within either Lamprolepsis,is or M. multifasciata over their exte nsive ranges.