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.

我们采用稳健的地理遗传取样策略、多位点数据集以及基于溯祖理论的物种界定统计方法，首次对菲律宾棘蜥属（Gonocephalus）的系统发育关系进行了系统推论，并对这一几乎未被研究的岛屿类群辐射的推测物种多样性展开评估。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呈现出显著的遗传分化。本研究首次对该类群的遗传谱系多样性进行了全面调查，并针对这一特有群岛辐射类群的全群岛地理结构进行了系统阐明。此前由于博物馆馆藏保藏标本数量稀少引发的分类学混乱，菲律宾棘蜥属类群一直未受到生物地理学家的关注。本研究借助新获取的凭证标本，以及基于全群岛脊椎动物生物多样性综合调查的遗传取样数据，结合近期多项相关研究成果，进一步证实了这个全球最具独特性的生物多样性保护热点区域之一所蕴藏的前所未有的动物区系多样性。