Cryptic diversity and population genetic structure in the rare, endemic, forest-obligate, slender geckos of the Philippines

Recent studies of forest lizards in Southeast Asia have highlighted spectacular morphological and cryptic genetic diversity in several poorly known clades. Unfortunately, many of the included species have microhabitat preferences for forested environments, and therefore they are threatened by extensive forest destruction throughout the region. This is particularly true in the Philippines, an archipelago with a strikingly high proportion (84%) of endemic geckos. Abundances inferred from historical museum collections suggests that we are in a critical period where apparent declines in population viability and species’ abundance have taken place faster than the growth in our understanding of alpha diversity. This phenomenon is exemplified in the exceedingly rare Philippine slender forest geckos of the genus Pseudogekko. Most of the known species are rarely encountered by field biologists, and species boundaries are unclear; this poor state of knowledge impedes effective conservation measur...

近年来针对东南亚森林蜥蜴的相关研究，在多个鲜为人知的演化支中揭示了极为突出的形态学多样性与隐匿性遗传多样性。遗憾的是，该类群中的多数物种均以森林环境作为专属微栖息地，因此正受到整个区域内大规模森林破坏的严重威胁。这一情况在菲律宾尤为凸显：作为群岛国家，该国壁虎的特有种占比高达84%，比例极为惊人。基于历史博物馆馆藏标本推算的种群丰度数据表明，我们正处于一个关键阶段——种群生存力与物种丰度的显著下降速度，已远超我们对α多样性（alpha diversity）认知的增长速率。这一现象在菲律宾瘦林壁虎属（Pseudogekko）的极度罕见物种类群中得到了典型体现。目前已被记录的该属物种大多极少被野外生物学家观测到，且物种间的分类界限尚不明确；这种认知匮乏的现状严重阻碍了有效的保护措施的推行……