Phylogenetic systematics of day geckos, genus Phelsuma, based on molecular and morphological data (Squamata: Gekkonidae)
Author
Rocha, Sara
Author
Rösler, Herbert
Author
Gehring, Philip-Sebastian
Author
Glaw, Frank
Author
Posada, David
Author
Harris, James
Author
Vences, Miguel
text
Zootaxa
2010
2429
1
28
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.194693
4c0d1aa7-64e9-4c3d-a673-8155067872b7
1175-5326
194693
Phelsuma andamanense
group
(contains
P. andamanense
)
A single species of
Phelsuma
is known from the geographically most disparate archipelago colonized by this genus, the Andaman Islands, in the Bay of Bengal, with a surface of over
6,000 km
2 and extensive tropical rainforest surface. Phylogenetic relationships of this species remain unresolved (isolated in the basal polytomy of the genus,
Rocha
et al.
2009
), although possible affinities to the
P. mutabilis
group were detected in some analyses. The basal phylogenetic position of
P. andamanense
indicates that it has colonized the Andamans relatively early. It is intriguing that despite this early colonization, apparently no radiation has occurred on this archipelago, unlike what has happened on the Mascarenes,
Seychelles
, and
Comoros
.
P. andamanense
is a green-coloured non-gluer with smooth ventral and subcaudal scales and without nostril-rostral contact or size-reduced vertebral scales. Except for the colour these characters agree with those observed in the
P. m u t a b i l i s
group (
Tables 1–2
).