Data from: Morphological and genetic evidence for a new karst specialist lizard from New Guinea (Cyrtodactylus: Gekkonidae).

Exposed limestone karst landscapes, especially in the tropics, are often home to distinctive and specialised biotas. Amongst vertebrates, a particularly large number of karst-associated lizard taxa have been described, but for the vast majority, evidence of specific adaptions to karst is lacking. A number of studies, however, have provided evidence of consistent morphological trends in lizards that utilise complex, three-dimensional, saxicoline habitats such as those that typify karst areas. Here we combine morphological and genetic data to test whether a newly discovered gecko from an extremely rugged karst area in New Guinea shows morphological trends matching these observed in other lizards associated with complex rock habitats such as karst and caves. Consistent with predictions, the new species’ head is flatter and narrower than similar-sized relatives, and it has proportionally larger eyes and longer limbs. These trends indicate this taxon represents the second documented instance of karst specialisation in a New Guinean vertebrate, and suggest morphological traits to test for evidence of specialised ecological associations in the many karst-associated Cyrtodactylus taxa from Southeast Asia.

裸露的石灰岩喀斯特（limestone karst）地貌，尤其是热带地区的此类地貌，往往孕育着独特且特化的生物类群。在脊椎动物中，已被记述的与喀斯特生境相关的蜥蜴类群数量颇丰，但其中绝大多数物种缺乏针对喀斯特生境的特化适应相关证据。然而，多项研究已证实，栖息于喀斯特区域这类典型的复杂三维岩生（saxicoline）生境的蜥蜴，存在一致的形态学趋势。本研究结合形态学与遗传学数据，旨在检验：新发现于新几内亚某极端崎岖喀斯特区域的壁虎，是否呈现出与其他栖息于喀斯特、洞穴等复杂岩石生境的蜥蜴一致的形态学特征趋势。研究结果与预测相符：该新种的头部相较于体型相近的近缘物种更为扁平狭窄，同时具备比例更大的眼部与更长的四肢。这些形态学趋势表明，该类群是新几内亚地区第二种被记录的喀斯特特化脊椎动物类群；同时，本研究提出的形态学特征，可用于检验东南亚众多与喀斯特生境相关的弯趾虎属（Cyrtodactylus）类群的特化生态关联证据。