Blindsnake evolutionary tree reveals long history on Gondwana

Vidal, Nicolás; Marin, Julie; Morini, Marina; Donnellan, Stephen C.; Branch, William R.; Thomas, Richard H.; Vences, Miguel; Wynn, Addison H.; Cruaud, Corinne; Hedges, S. Blair

doi:10.1098/rsbl.2010.0220

Cited by 104 publications

(171 citation statements)

References 18 publications

(21 reference statements)

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“…Furthermore, the occurrence of amphisbaenians on offshore islands, including Cuba, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola [13] and Fernando de Noronha [51], shows unequivocally that worm lizards disperse over water. Similar patterns of dispersal in burrowing squamates are seen in dibamids [52] and scolecophidians [53].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 52%

Biogeography of worm lizards (Amphisbaenia) driven by end-Cretaceous mass extinction

et al. 2015

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Worm lizards (Amphisbaenia) are burrowing squamates that live as subterranean predators. Their underground existence should limit dispersal, yet they are widespread throughout the Americas, Europe and Africa. This pattern was traditionally explained by continental drift, but molecular clocks suggest a Cenozoic diversification, long after the break-up of Pangaea, implying dispersal. Here, we describe primitive amphisbaenians from the North American Palaeocene, including the oldest known amphisbaenian, and provide new and older molecular divergence estimates for the clade, showing that worm lizards originated in North America, then radiated and dispersed in the Palaeogene following the Cretaceous-Palaeogene (K-Pg) extinction. This scenario implies at least three trans-oceanic dispersals: from North America to Europe, from North America to Africa and from Africa to South America. Amphisbaenians provide a striking case study in biogeography, suggesting that the role of continental drift in biogeography may be overstated. Instead, these patterns support Darwin and Wallace's hypothesis that the geographical ranges of modern clades result from dispersal, including oceanic rafting. Mass extinctions may facilitate dispersal events by eliminating competitors and predators that would otherwise hinder establishment of dispersing populations, removing biotic barriers to dispersal.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 52%

Biogeography of worm lizards (Amphisbaenia) driven by end-Cretaceous mass extinction

et al. 2015

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“…Previously recognized to be a member of Typhlops ater group, a recent phylogenetic study of blindsnakes justified the resurrection of the genus Gerrhopilus (Vidal et al 2010). Location T11: CAS 169882.…”

Section: Gerrhopilidaementioning

confidence: 99%

Amphibians and reptiles, Romblon Island group, central Philippines: comprehensive herpetofaunal inventory

Siler¹,

Swab²,

Oliveros³

et al. 2012

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We present results from several recent herpetological surveys in the Romblon Island Group (RIG), Romblon Province, central Philippines. Together with a summary of historical museum records, our data document the occurrence of 55 species of amphibians and reptiles in this small island group. Until the present effort, and despite past studies, herpetological diversity of the RIG and their biogeographical affinities has remained poorly understood. We report on observations of evolutionarily distinct amphibian species, including conspicuous, previously known, endemics like the forest frogs Platymantis lawtoni and P. levigatus and two additional suspected undescribed species of Platymantis. Moderate levels of reptile endemism prevail on these islands, including taxa like the karst forest gecko species Gekko romblon and the newly discovered species G. coi. Although relatively small and less diverse than the surrounding landmasses, the islands of Romblon Province contain remarkable levels of endemism when considered as percentage of the total fauna or per unit landmass area.

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“…Although there is recent debate on the length of contact between Indigascar (India, Madagascar and Seychelles [2]; also see electronic supplementary material) and South America via Antarctica [3,4], by the start of the Late Cretaceous South America and Africa were separated, thus severing all subaerial connections between Indigascar and Africa. India -Seychelles completed a gradual separation from Madagascar around 88 Ma [1], and India and the Seychelles separated about 65 Ma [5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eastward from Africa: palaeocurrent-mediated chameleon dispersal to the Seychelles islands

et al. 2010

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Madagascar and the Seychelles are Gondwanan remnants currently isolated in the Indian Ocean. In the Late Cretaceous, these islands were joined with India to form the Indigascar landmass, which itself then split into its three component parts around the start of the Tertiary. This history is reflected in the biota of the Seychelles, which appears to contain examples of both vicariance- and dispersal-mediated divergence from Malagasy or Indian sister taxa. One lineage for which this has been assumed but never thoroughly tested is the Seychellean tiger chameleon, a species assigned to the otherwise Madagascar-endemic genus Calumma . We present a multi-locus phylogenetic study of chameleons, and find that the Seychellean species is actually the sister taxon of a southern African clade and requires accomodation in its own genus as Archaius tigris . Divergence dating and biogeographic analyses indicate an origin by transoceanic dispersal from Africa to the Seychelles in the Eocene–Oligocene, providing, to our knowledge, the first such well-documented example and supporting novel palaeocurrent reconstructions.

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Blindsnake evolutionary tree reveals long history on Gondwana

Cited by 104 publications

References 18 publications

Biogeography of worm lizards (Amphisbaenia) driven by end-Cretaceous mass extinction

Biogeography of worm lizards (Amphisbaenia) driven by end-Cretaceous mass extinction

Amphibians and reptiles, Romblon Island group, central Philippines: comprehensive herpetofaunal inventory

Eastward from Africa: palaeocurrent-mediated chameleon dispersal to the Seychelles islands

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