Data from: Rigorous approaches to species delimitation have significant implications for African crocodilian systematics and conservation
| Main Authors: | Shirley, Matthew, Vliet, Kent, Carr, Amanda, Austin, James, Austin, J. D., Carr, A. N., Shirley, M. H., Vliet, K. A. |
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| Format: | info dataset Journal |
| Terbitan: |
, 2014
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: |
https://zenodo.org/record/4970019 |
Daftar Isi:
- Accurate species delimitation is a central assumption of biology that, in groups such as the Crocodylia, is often hindered by highly conserved morphology and frequent introgression. In Africa, crocodilian systematics has been hampered by complex regional biogeography and confounded taxonomic history. We used rigorous molecular and morphological species delimitation methods to test the hypothesis that the slender-snouted croco- dile (Mecistops cataphractus) is composed of multiple species corresponding to the Congolian and Guinean biogeographic zones. Speciation probability was assessed by using 11 mitochondrial and nuclear genes, and cranial mor- phology for over 100 specimens, representing the full geographical extent of the species distribution. Molecular Bayesian and phylogenetic species deli- mitation showed unanimous support for two Mecistops species isolated to the Upper Guinean and Congo (including Lower Guinean) biomes that were supported by 13 cranial characters capable of unambiguously diagnos- ing each species. Fossil-calibrated phylogenetic reconstruction estimated that the species split + 6.5 – 7.5 Ma, which is congruent with intraspecies diver- gence within the sympatric crocodile genus Osteolaemus and the formation of the Cameroon Volcanic Line. Our results underscore the necessity of com- prehensive phylogeographic analyses within currently recognized taxa to detect cryptic species within the Crocodylia. We recommend that the com- munity of crocodilian researchers reconsider the conceptualization of crocodilian species especially in the light of the conservation ramifications for this economically and ecologically important group.
- Shirleyetal_Mecistopssystematics_CpDi13Mecistops and outgroup sequences for nuclear marker CpDi13. See text file "Shirleyetal_Mecistopssystematics_OTUexplanations.txt" for OTU codes. Refer to Methods text for other relevant details.Shirleyetal_Mecistopssystematics_CpP205Mecistops and outgroup sequences for nuclear marker CpP205. See text file "Shirleyetal_Mecistopssystematics_OTUexplanations.txt" for OTU codes. Refer to Methods text for other relevant details.Shirleyetal_Mecistopssystematics_CpP2902Mecistops and outgroup sequences for nuclear marker CpP2902. See text file "Shirleyetal_Mecistopssystematics_OTUexplanations.txt" for OTU codes. Refer to Methods text for other relevant details.Shirleyetal_Mecistopssystematics_CpP3303Mecistops and outgroup sequences for nuclear marker CpP3303. See text file "Shirleyetal_Mecistopssystematics_OTUexplanations.txt" for OTU codes. Refer to Methods text for other relevant details.Shirleyetal_Mecistopssystematics_CpP4004Mecistops and outgroup sequences for nuclear marker CpP4004. See text file "Shirleyetal_Mecistopssystematics_OTUexplanations.txt" for OTU codes. Refer to Methods text for other relevant details.Shirleyetal_Mecistopssystematics_LDHA_rag1Mecistops and outgroup sequences for nuclear markers LDHA and rag1. See text file "Shirleyetal_Mecistopssystematics_OTUexplanations.txt" for OTU codes. Refer to Methods text for other relevant details.Shirleyetal_Mecistopssystematics_mtDNAMecistops and Osteolaemus sequences for all 4 mitochondrial markers. See text file "Shirleyetal_Mecistopssystematics_OTUexplanations.txt" for OTU codes. Refer to Methods text for other relevant details.Shirleyetal_Mecistopssystematics_OTUexplanationsRelevant details concerning the OTU labels in all the sequence datasets.Shirleyetal_Mecistopssystematics_morphodataMorphological character codings. Each OTU is labeled with the numeric portion of the relevant museum accession number (see Table 3) and the supposed collection locality. Refer to Table 3 caption for further details.