Evolutionary relationships of the Anolis bimaculatus group from the northern Lesser Antilles

Lizards in the Anolis bimaculatus group from the northern Lesser Antilles h ave played an important role in theoretical and empirical developments in e cology, behavior, and evolution over the last four decades. Despite intense interest, the lack of a formal phylogenetic analysis for the bimaculatus g roup has limited comparative and historical evolutionary analyses. Here we present a phylogenetic analysis of species relationships within the bimacul atus group based on separate and combined analyses of mitochondrial DNA and previously published allozyme data. These analyses indicate that (1) the w attsi group of small anoles is a basal, well-supported monophyletic group; (2) the large anoles A. bimaculatus and A. leachi are not sister species-ra ther, there is a well-supported sister relationship between A. bimaculatus and A. gingivinus; (3) the A. marmoratus complex from the Guadeloupean arch ipelago is deeply differentiated and paraphyletic, with A. sabanus, A. livi dus, and possibly A. oculatus nested within it; (4) the phylogenetic positi on of A. leachi is not well resolved, but a combined analysis of mtDNA and allozyme data favor placing A. leachi as the sister taxon to the (A. marmor atus, A. lividus, A. sabanus, A. oculatus) group; and (5) the phylogenetic position of A. nubilus remains uncertain pending additional data. The propo sed phylogeny elucidates the evolutionary history and biogeography of the b imaculatus group and allows a reassessment of the character displacement an d taxon cycle/loop hypotheses.