The Evolution of Species of the Varanidae - Microcomplement Fixation Analysis of Serum Albumins

Abstract

Phylogenetic relationships among 30 of the 40 species in the Varanidae were examined in the light of molecular information on albumin evolution derived from microcomplement fixation. A phylogeny based on these results is compared with proposed phylogenies based on data obtained using other techniques. Three separate radiations of Varanus are found in Australia, The movement of varanids to Australia from south-east Asia is thought to have occurred approximately 15-20 million years ago.

Biogeographic Origins of Goannas (Varanidae): A Molecular Perspective

“…Subsequently, Becker et al (1989) proposed a phylogeny based on lung morphology (Fig. 1B) Bohme (1988), lung morphology (B) after Becker et al (1989), chromosomal morphology (C) after King and King (1975), and one-way (solid line) and reciprocal (dashed line) MC'F tests (D) after Baverstock et al (1993). largely (although not entirely) in agreement with that proposed by Bohme (1988).…”

The braincases of two glyptosaurines (anguidae, Squamata) and anguid phylogeny

“…Although many analyses, both morphological (with and without fossils) and molecular, have focused on the evolution of platynotans (e.g., Pregill et al, 1986;Norell et al, 1992;Baverstock et al, 1993;Pianka, 1995;Lee, 1997;Fuller et al, 1998;Nydam, 2000;Ast, 2001;Pepin, 2001), relatively few have concentrated on Anguidae (but see Macey et al, 1997;Wiens and Slingluff, 2001). Perhaps because they are known only from fossil specimens, glyptosaurines have been included in the analysis in only a subset of those studies (Sullivan, 1979;Gauthier, 1982;Conrad, 2006Conrad, , 2008.…”

Physalopterine nematodes in Australian reptiles: interactions and patterns of infection

“…Host-family specificity, in particular to the Varanidae and Agamidae, occurs in many nematodes in the genus Abbreviata. Varanoid lizards occupy a range of habitats in Australia and despite great differences in size between species, are monophyletic (Baverstock et al 1993;Ast 2001;Fitch et al 2006) and morphologically similar (Pianka and King 2004). A phylogeny of Australian agamid lizards, which have radiated widely in Australian deserts, has been established by Hugall et al (2008) using nuclear and mitochondrial genes.…”