Journal
BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
Volume 87, Issue 1, Pages 1-11Publisher
OXFORD UNIV PRESS
DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2006.00552.x
Keywords
evolution of viviparity; mtDNA; phylogeny
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The evolution of viviparity in squamates has been the focus of much scientific attention in previous years. In particular, the possibility of the transition from viviparity back to oviparity has been the subject of a vigorous debate. Some studies have suggested this reversal is more frequent than previously thought. However, none of them provide conclusive evidence. We investigated this problem by studying the phylogenetic relationships between oviparous and viviparous lineages of the reproductively bimodal lizard species Zootoca vivipara. Our results show that viviparous populations are not monophyletic, and that several evolutionary transitions in parity mode have occurred. The most parsimonious scenario involves a single origin of viviparity followed by a reversal back to oviparity. This is the first study with a strongly supported phylogenetic framework supporting a transition from viviparity to oviparity. (c) 2006 The Linnean Society of London.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available