A new species of the genus Scincella (Squamata: Scincidae) from Yonagunijima Island, Southern Ryukyus, Japan.

We performed a molecular phylogenetic analysis for the ground skink populations of the genus Scincella Mittleman, 1950 on Yonagunijima Island, Southern Ryukyus and representative samples of Scincella species known from other islands of the East Asian Archipelago. Partial mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and cytochrome b sequence data were used. Additionally, we examined the nuclear genetic variation between the Yonagunijima samples and those of closely related species.

Another New Bent-toed Gecko, genus Cyrtodactylus Gray 1837 (Squamata: Gekkonidae), from Borneo.

To reveal the diversity of Indonesian bent-toed geckos, we pay attention to Kalimantan (Borneo)an island which has received less attention than other Indonesian islands such as Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, the Moluccas, and the Lesser Sunda archipelagos. About 30 years after Hikida (1990) described three new Cyrtodactylus from Borneo, four more species were described, namely C. limajalur and C.

Population history and genomic admixture of sea snakes of the genus Laticauda in the West Pacific.

Speciation in the open ocean has long been studied, but it remains largely elusive what factors promote or inhibit speciation in such an open environment. Marine amniotes, which evolved from terrestrial ancestors, provide valuable opportunities for studying speciation in the ocean because of their evident aquatic origins. Sea snakes are phylogenetically related to terrestrial elapid snakes and consist of two monophyletic groups (Hydrophiini and Laticaudini).

A new species of the genus Larutia (Squamata: Scincidae) from Gunung Penrissen, Sarawak, Borneo.

We collected a specimen of a scincid lizard of Larutia Böhme, 1981 from the edge of a primary forest on Gunung Penrissen, Kuching Division, Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. The single specimen of the new species differs from all other known congeners by the molecular divergence in the mitochondrial ND1 gene and morphological characters including small adult body size (SVL 84 mm); 22 longitudinal scale rows around midbody; first pair of chinshields contacting second infralabial; second pair of chinshields separated from infralabials by an elongated scale; two subdigital lamellae on second toe; and body without yellow or pale bands or spots. It is the ninth species described in the genus and the second species of Larutia in Borneo.

Taxonomic reassessment of two subspecies of Chinese skink in Taiwan based on morphological and molecular investigations (Squamata, Scincidae).

The Chinese skink, (Gray, 1838), is widely distributed across continental China, Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula, and offshore islets, and consists of several subspecies. Here morphological and molecular methods have been used to reassess the taxonomic status and distributions of (Van Denburgh, 1912) and (Hikida, 1988), which are endemic to Taiwan and Green Island (an islet off the east coast of Taiwan), respectively. It can be confirmed that the eastern Taiwanese populations of exhibit similar juvenile color patterning and genetic composition to the islet subspecies , and are distinct from consubspecific populations in western Taiwan.

A new species of (Squamata: Scincidae) from the Senkaku Group, Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan.

A new scincid lizard, Plestiodon takarai sp. nov., is described from the Senkaku Group, Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan.

A new species of Rock Gecko genus Cnemaspis (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Western Sarawak, Malaysia.

A new species of Asian rock gecko, genus Cnemaspis, is described from Padawan, western Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. The new species forms a clade with C. paripari and C.

An investigation for population maintenance mechanism in a miniature garden: genetic connectivity or independence of small islet populations of the Ryukyu five-lined skink.

The Ryukyu five-lined skink (Plestiodon marginatus) is an island lizard that is even found in tiny islets with less than half a hectare of habitat area. We hypothesized that the island populations are maintained under frequent gene flow among the islands or independent of each other. To test our hypotheses, we investigated genetic structure of 21 populations from 11 land-bridge islands that were connected during the latest glacial age, and 4 isolated islands.

A new species of Plestiodon (Squamata: Scincidae) from Kuchinoshima Island in the Tokara Group of the Northern Ryukyus, Japan.

A scincid lizard of the genus Plestiodon from Kuchinoshima Island in the Tokara Group of the Northern Ryukyus, Japan, has proved to be genetically and morphologically differentiated from any previously recognized species in the genus. We thus describe this island population as a new species, Plestiodon kuchinoshimensis. The new species shows characteristics of the P.

Phylogeography of the two smooth skinks, Scincella boettgeri and S. formosensis (Squamata: Scincidae) in the Southern Ryukyus and Taiwan, as inferred from variation in mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences.

Scincella boettgeri and S. formosensis are respectively small-bodied, morphologically similar skinks, endemic to the Southern Ryukyus and Taiwan. To estimate the phylogeography of both species, we performed phylogenetic analyses using the mitochondrial cytochrome b (cyt b) gene sequences based on 102 individuals of S.

Divergence and long-distance overseas dispersals of island populations of the Ryukyu five-lined skink, Plestiodon marginatus (Scincidae: Squamata), in the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan, as revealed by mitochondrial DNA phylogeography.

We assessed the historical biogeography of the Ryukyu five-lined skink, Plestiodon marginatus, and related species (P. stimpsonii and P. elegans).

Pairwise comparison of orthologous olfactory receptor genes between two sympatric sibling sea kraits of the genus Laticauda in Vanuatu.

Olfaction-based reproductive isolation is widely observed in animals, but little is known about the genetic basis of such isolation mechanisms. Two species of sibling amphibious sea snakes, Laticauda colubrina and L. frontalis live in Vanuatu sympatrically and syntopically, but no natural hybrids have been reported.

Phylogeography of Fischer's blue, Tongeia fischeri, in Japan: Evidence for introgressive hybridization.

The widespread lycaenid butterfly Tongeia fischeri is distributed from eastern Europe to northeastern Asia and represented by three geographically isolated populations in Japan. In order to clarify the phylogeographic history of the species, we used sequences of three mitochondrial (COI, Cyt b and ND5) and two nuclear (Rpl5 and Ldh) genes of 207 individuals collected from 55 sites throughout Japan and five sites on the Asian continent. Phylogenetic trees and the median-joining network revealed six evolutionary mitochondrial haplotype clades, which corresponded to the geographic distribution of the species.

Accommodating heterogenous rates of evolution in molecular divergence dating methods: an example using intercontinental dispersal of Plestiodon (Eumeces) lizards.

Identifying and dating historical biological events is a fundamental goal of evolutionary biology, and recent analytical advances permit the modeling of factors known to affect both the accuracy and the precision of molecular date estimates. As the use of multilocus data sets becomes increasingly routine, it becomes more important to evaluate the potentially confounding effects of rate heterogeneity both within (e.g.

Bermuda as an evolutionary life raft for an ancient lineage of endangered lizards.

Oceanic islands are well known for harboring diverse species assemblages and are frequently the basis of research on adaptive radiation and neoendemism. However, a commonly overlooked role of some islands is their function in preserving ancient lineages that have become extinct everywhere else (paleoendemism). The island archipelago of Bermuda is home to a single species of extant terrestrial vertebrate, the endemic skink Plestiodon (formerly Eumeces) longirostris.

Geographic variation in morphological traits of the large Japanese field mouse, Apodemus speciosus (Rodentia, Muridae), from the Izu Island Group, Japan.

We investigated geographic variation in morphological traits of the large Japanese field mouse (Apodemus speciosus) from the Izu Island Group, Japan. There was sexual dimorphism in external characters and cranial measurements; hence, these were considered in subsequent analyses. There was geographic divergence in morphometric characters among populations of the Izu Island Group and Honshu.

Parapatric distribution of the lizards Plestiodon (formerly Eumeces) latiscutatus and P. japonicus (Reptilia: Scincidae) around the Izu Peninsula, Central Japan, and its biogeographic implications.

The scincid lizard Plestiodon latiscutatus is found in the Izu Islands and Izu Peninsula of central Japan, whereas P. japonicus, a close relative, is found over the entire main island group of Japan, except the Izu Peninsula. The precise area of occupancy of these species was surveyed around the Izu Peninsula.

Extensive Natural Hybridization Between Two Geckos, Gekko tawaensis and Gekko japonicus (Reptilia: Squamata), Throughout Their Broad Sympatric Area.

The status of natural hybridization between the two Japanese geckos, Gekko tawaensis and Gekko japonicus, was surveyed by use of 15 diagnostic allozyme loci. Of 438 specimens examined, 9 were identified as F(l), 1 was a first backcross with G. japonicus, and 15 were identified as more successive generations.

Proportion and cluster analyses of the skull in various species of the tree shrews.

The skull adaptation was functional-morphologically examined in 14 species of the tree shrews. From the data of the proportion indices, the similarities were confirmed between T. minor and T.

Morphological adaptation of the skull for various behaviors in the tree shrews.

Skull size and shape were examined among 14 species of the tree shrews (Tupaia montana, T. picta, T. splendidula, T.

Phylogeny of the lizard subfamily Lygosominae (Reptilia: Scincidae), with special reference to the origin of the new world taxa.

Phylogenetic relationships of the three lygosomine skink genera occurring both in the Old World and the New World (Mabuya, Scincella and Sphenomorphus) were inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequence of 12S and 16S rRNA genes. Results strongly suggested the non-monophyly for any of these three genera. Within the Mabuya group, Asian members appear to have diverged first, leaving the Neotropical and the Afro-Malagasy Mabuya as sister groups.

Genetic variation and differentiation in the Japanese five-lined skink, Eumeces latiscutatus (Reptilia: Squamata).

The genetic variation in Eumeces latiscutatus from the main islands of Japan and the northern Ryukyus was investigated and compared with that of its close relatives (E. okadae and E. marginatus) using allozyme data.

Molecular evaluation of phylogenetic significances in the highly divergent karyotypes of the genus Gonocephalus (Reptilia: Agamidae) from tropical Asia.

The Oriental large-bodied crested dragons of the genus Gonocephalus are known to include two distinct karyomorphs. To evaluate their phylogenetic significances, we conducted phylogenetic analyses of the genus together with other agamid genera on the basis of 862 base positions of mitochondrial 12S and 16S rRNA genes. Results suggested the presence of two distinct lineages within Gonocephalus, of which one, represented by G.

Discovery of sympatric cryptic species within (Gekkonidae: Squamata) from the Okinawa Islands, Japan, by use of allozyme data.

An electrophoretic survey of samples of the gekkonid lizard, , from the East Asian islands demonstrated that two genetically divergent, but morphologically almost identical, entities occur on five islands of the Okinawa Group, Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan. These entities, while sharing all of the external character states diagnostic of , exhibited fixed allele differences at six to eight out of 30 loci examined and great overall genetic distances [Nei's (1978)  = 0.489-0.