A phylogenetic review of the African leaf chameleons: Genus Rhampholeon (Chamaeleonidae): The role of vicariance and climate change in speciation

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dc.contributor.authorMatthee C.A.
dc.contributor.authorTilbury C.R.
dc.contributor.authorTownsend T.
dc.date.accessioned2011-05-15T16:00:25Z
dc.date.available2011-05-15T16:00:25Z
dc.date.issued2004
dc.description.abstractThe phylogenetic associations among 13 currently recognized African leaf chameleon species were investigated by making use of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence data (44 taxa and 4145 characters). The gene tree indicates two divergent clades within Rhampholeon; this finding is congruent with previous morphological suggestions. The first clade (I) comprises three taxa (R. kerstenii, R. brevicaudatus and R. brachyurus) and is widely distributed in lowland forest and or non-forest biomes. The second clade (II) comprises the remaining Rhampholeon species and can be subdivided into three subclades. By contrast, most taxa belonging to clade II are confined to relict montane forest biotopes. Based on geographical, morphological and molecular evidence, it is suggested that the taxonomy of Rhampholeon be revised to include two genera (Rieppeleon and Rhampholeon) and three subgenera (Rhampholeon, Bicuspis and Rhinodigitum). There is a close correlation between geographical distribution and phylogenetic relatedness among Rhampholeon taxa, indicating that vicariance and climate change were possibly the most influential factors driving speciation in the group. A relaxed Bayesian clock suggests that speciation times coincided both with the northern movement of Africa, which caused the constriction of the pan African forest, and to rifting in east Africa ca. 20 Myr ago. Subsequent speciation among taxa was probably the result of gradual desiccation of forests between 20 and 5 Myr ago. © 2004 The Royal Society.
dc.description.versionReview
dc.identifier.citationProceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
dc.identifier.citation271
dc.identifier.citation1551
dc.identifier.issn9628452
dc.identifier.other10.1098/rspb.2004.2806
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/11688
dc.subjectcladistics
dc.subjectlizard
dc.subjectmontane forest
dc.subjectphylogenetics
dc.subjecttaxonomy
dc.subjectanimal
dc.subjectBicuspis
dc.subjectbiotope
dc.subjectChamaeleonidae
dc.subjectchameleon
dc.subjectcladistics
dc.subjectclimate change
dc.subjectDNA sequence
dc.subjectforest
dc.subjectgeographic distribution
dc.subjectnonhuman
dc.subjectphylogeny
dc.subjectpriority journal
dc.subjectreview
dc.subjectRhampholeon
dc.subjectRhinodigitum
dc.subjectRieppeleon
dc.subjectspecies differentiation
dc.subjecttaxonomy
dc.subjectvicariance
dc.subjectAfrica
dc.subjectarticle
dc.subjectBayes theorem
dc.subjectbiological model
dc.subjectclassification
dc.subjectclimate
dc.subjectcomparative study
dc.subjectgene
dc.subjectgenetics
dc.subjectgeography
dc.subjectlizard
dc.subjectmolecular evolution
dc.subjectmolecular genetics
dc.subjectnucleotide sequence
dc.subjectspecies difference
dc.subjectCacajao
dc.subjectChamaeleonidae
dc.subjectRhampholeon
dc.subjectRhampholeon brevicaudatus
dc.subjectRhampholeon kerstenii
dc.subjectmitochondrial DNA
dc.subjectAfrica
dc.subjectAnimals
dc.subjectBase Sequence
dc.subjectBayes Theorem
dc.subjectClimate
dc.subjectDNA, Mitochondrial
dc.subjectEvolution, Molecular
dc.subjectGenes, RAG-1
dc.subjectGeography
dc.subjectLizards
dc.subjectModels, Genetic
dc.subjectMolecular Sequence Data
dc.subjectPhylogeny
dc.subjectSequence Analysis, DNA
dc.subjectSpecies Specificity
dc.titleA phylogenetic review of the African leaf chameleons: Genus Rhampholeon (Chamaeleonidae): The role of vicariance and climate change in speciation
dc.typeReview
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