Data from: Archipelago-wide survey of Philippine forest dragons (Agamidae: Gonocephalus): multilocus phylogeny uncovers unprecedented levels of genetic diversity in a biodiversity hotspot

We utilize robust geographical genetic sampling, a multilocus dataset, and coalescent-based species delimitation statistics to provide the first phylogenetic inferences of relationships of Philippine Gonocephalus, combined with estimates of putative species diversity in this virtually unknown island radiation. Our results reveal startling levels of undocumented diversity, genetically partitioned at a number of geographic levels across the archipelago. In this paper we present the first survey of genetic lineage diversity, coupled with an archipelago-wide elucidation of geographic structure in a unique archipelago-endemic radiation. Philippine Gonocephalus have previously escaped the attention of biogeographers, due to taxonomic confusion associated with low numbers of preserved specimens in museum collections. With new vouchered material and genetic sampling from a comprehensive, archipelago-wide vertebrate biodiversity inventory, our findings join many recent studies highlighting the unprecedented faunal diversity in one of the world’s most unique biodiversity conservation hotspots.

本研究采用稳健的地理遗传采样策略、多位点数据集以及基于溯祖理论的物种界定统计方法，首次针对菲律宾棘蜥属（Gonocephalus）的物种亲缘关系开展系统发育推断，同时对这一几乎未被探索的岛屿类群辐射演化事件中的推定物种多样性进行了评估。研究结果揭示了数量惊人的未记录物种多样性，这些多样性在整个群岛的多个地理层级上均存在遗传分化。本文首次对该类群的遗传谱系多样性进行了系统调查，并针对这一独特的群岛特有类群辐射演化事件，完成了全群岛尺度的地理格局解析。此前由于博物馆馆藏保存标本数量稀少引发的分类学混乱，菲律宾棘蜥属类群长期未受到生物地理学者的关注。依托本次研究获取的全新凭证标本，以及覆盖全群岛的综合性脊椎动物生物多样性调查所提供的遗传采样数据，本研究结果与近期多项相关研究共同证实：这一全球最具独特性的生物多样性保护热点区域之一，拥有前所未有的动物区系多样性。