Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Computational molecular species delimitation and taxonomic revision of the gecko genus Ebenavia Boettger, 1878

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
The Science of Nature Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Cryptic species have been detected in many groups of organisms and must be assumed to make up a significant portion of global biodiversity. We study geckos of the Ebenavia inunguis complex from Madagascar and surrounding islands and use species delimitation algorithms (GMYC, BOLD, BPP), COI barcode divergence, diagnostic codon indels in the nuclear marker PRLR, diagnostic categorical morphological characters, and significant differences in continuous morphological characters for its taxonomic revision. BPP yielded ≥ 10 operational taxonomic units, whereas GMYC (≥ 27) and BOLD (26) suggested substantial oversplitting. In consequnce, we resurrect Ebenavia boettgeri Boulenger 1885 and describe Ebenavia tuelinae sp. nov., Ebenavia safari sp. nov., and Ebenavia robusta sp. nov., increasing the number of recognised species in Ebenavia from two to six. Further lineages of Ebenavia retrieved by BPP may warrant species or subspecies status, but further taxonomic conclusions are postponed until more data become available. Finally, we present an identification key to the genus Ebenavia, provide an updated distribution map, and discuss the diagnostic values of computational species delimitation as well as morphological and molecular diagnostic characters.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adams M, Raadik TA, Burridge CP, Georges A (2014) Global biodiversity assessment and hyper-cryptic species complexes: more than one species of elephant in the room? Syst Biol 63:518–533

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Andreone F, Glaw F, Nussbaum RA, Raxworthy CJ, Vences M, Randrianirina JE (2003) The amphibians and reptiles of Nosy Be (NW Madagascar) and nearby islands: a case study of diversity and conservation of an insular fauna. J Nat Hist 37:2119–2149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Angel F (1942) Les lézards de Madagascar. Mém Acad Malgache 36:1–139

  • Babb PL, McIntosh AM, Fernandez-Duque E, Schurr TG (2014) Prolactin receptor gene diversity in Azara’s owl monkeys (Aotus azarai) and humans (Homo sapiens) suggests a non-neutral evolutionary history among primates. Int J Primatol 35:129–155. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-013-9721-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bellati A, Scherz MD, Megson S, Hyde Roberts S, Andreone F, Rosa GM, Noël J, Randrianirina JE, Fasola M, Glaw F, Crottini A (2018) Resurrection and re-description of Plethodontohyla laevis (Boettger, 1913) and transfer of Rhombophryne alluaudi (Mocquard, 1901) to the genus Plethodontohyla (Amphibia, Microhylidae, Cophylinae). Zoosystematics Evol 94:109–135

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bickford D, Lohman DJ, Sodhi NS, Ng PKL, Meier R, Winker K, Ingram KK, Das I (2007) Cryptic species as a window on diversity and conservation. Trends Ecol Evol 22:148–155

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Blanc CP (1971) Les reptiles de Madagascar et des îles voisines. Ann Univ Mada 8:95–178

    Google Scholar 

  • Blanc CP (1972) Les reptiles de Madagascar et des îles voisines. In: Battistini R, Richard-Vindard G (eds) Biogeography and ecology in Madagascar. Springer, pp 501–614

  • Blumgart D, Dolheim J, Raxworthy CJ (2017) Herpetological diversity across intact and modified habitats of Nosy Komba Island. Madagascar. J Nat Hist 51:1–18

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boettger O (1878) Die Reptilien und Amphibien von Madagascar. Erster Nachtrag. Abh Senckenb naturforsch Ges 11:1–56

    Google Scholar 

  • Boettger O (1893) Katalog der Reptilien-Sammlung im Museum der Senckenbergischen Naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Frankfurt am Main. I. Teil (Rhynchocephalen, Schildkröten, Krokodile, Eidechsen, Chamäleons). Gebrüder Knauer, Frankfurt a. M.

  • Boulenger GA (1885) Catalogue of the lizards in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) I. Geckonidae, Eublepharidae, Uroplatidae, Pygopodidae, Agamidae. British Museum of Natural History, London

  • Boulenger GA (1887) Catalogue of the lizards in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) III. Lacertidae, Gerrhosauridae, Soinidae, Anclytropidae, Dibamidae, Chamaeleontidae. Taylor & Francis, London

  • Boumans L, Vieites DR, Glaw F, Vences M (2007) Geographical patterns of deep mitochondrial differentiation in widespread Malagasy reptiles. Mol Phylogenet Evol 45:822–839

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carstens BC, Pelletier TA, Reid NM, Satler JD (2013) How to fail at species delimitation. Mol Ecol 22:4369–4383

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • de Queiroz K (1998) The general lineage concept of species, species criteria, and the process of speciation. In: Howard DJ, Berlocher SH (eds) Endless forms. Species and speciation. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 49–89

    Google Scholar 

  • Drummond AJ, Suchard MA, Xie D, Rambaut A (2012) Bayesian phylogenetics with BEAUti and the BEAST 1.7. Mol Biol Evol 29:1969–1973

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Edwards DL, Keogh JS, Knowles LL (2012) Effects of vicariant barriers, habitat stability, population isolation and environmental features on species divergence in the south-western Australian coastal reptile community. Mol Ecol 21:3809–3822

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Garcia-Porta J, Simó-Riudalbas M, Robinson M, Carranza S (2017) Diversification in arid mountains: biogeography and cryptic diversity of Pristurus rupestris rupestris in Arabia. J Biogeogr 44:1694–1704. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.12929

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gehring P-S, Tolley KA, Eckhardt FS, Townsend TM, Ziegler T, Ratsoavina F, Glaw F, Vences M (2012) Hiding deep in the trees: discovery of divergent mitochondrial lineages in Malagasy chameleons of the Calumma nasutum group. Ecol Evol 2:1468–1479

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Giam X, Scheffers BR, Sodhi NS, Wilcove DS, Ceballos G, Ehrlich PR (2012) Reservoirs of richness: least disturbed tropical forests are centres of undescribed species diversity. Proc R Soc B Biol Sci 279:67–76

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glaw F, Vences M (2007) A fieldguide to the amphibians and reptiles of Madagascar, 3rd edn. Vences & Glaw Verlag, Cologne

    Google Scholar 

  • Glaw K (2016) Pinselschwanzgecko Ebenavia inunguis: Ein interessanter Zwerggecko aus deutscher Nachzucht. Zool Zent Anz 2:30–32

    Google Scholar 

  • Gvoždík V, Jandzik D, Lymberakis P, Jablonski D, Moravec J (2010) Slow worm, Anguis fragilis (Reptilia: Anguidae) as a species complex: genetic structure reveals deep divergences. Mol Phylogenet Evol 55:460–472

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gvoždík V, Benkovský N, Crottini A, Bellati A, Moravec J, Romano A, Sacchi R, Jandzik D (2013) An ancient lineage of slow worms, genus Anguis (Squamata: Anguidae), survived in the Italian Peninsula. Mol Phylogenet Evol 69:1077–1092

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hawlitschek O, Brückmann B, Berger J, Green K, Glaw F (2011) Integrating field surveys and remote sensing data to study distribution, habitat use and conservation status of the herpetofauna of the Comoro Islands. Zookeys 144:21–79

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hawlitschek O, Nagy ZT, Glaw F (2012) Island evolution and systematic revision of Comoran snakes: why and when subspecies still make sense. PLoS One 7:e42970

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hawlitschek O, Nagy ZT, Berger J, Glaw F (2013) Reliable DNA barcoding performance proved for species and island populations of Comoran squamate reptiles. PLoS One 8:e73368

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hawlitschek O, Glaw F (2014) Determinant species of reptiles and amphibians for the delimitation of ZNIEFF zones in Mayotte. Direction de l'Environnement de l'Aménagement et du Logement (DEAL), Mayotte, France

  • Hawlitschek O, Ramírez-Garrído S, Glaw F (2017a) How marine currents influenced the widespread natural overseas dispersal of reptiles in the Western Indian Ocean region. J Biogeogr 44:1435–1440

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hawlitschek O, Toussaint EFAT, Gehring PS, Ratsoavina FM, Cole N, Crottini A, Nopper J, Lam AW, Vences M, Glaw F (2017b) Gecko phylogeography in the Western Indian Ocean region: the oldest clade of Ebenavia inunguis lives on the youngest island. J Biogeogr 44:409–420

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hazkani-Covo E, Zeller RM, Martin W (2010) Molecular poltergeists: mitochondrial DNA copies (numts) in sequenced nuclear genomes. PLoS Genet 6:e1000834

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hebert PDN, Cywinska A, Ball SL, DeWaard JR (2003) Biological identifications through DNA barcodes. Proc R Soc B Biol Sci 270:313–321

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hebert PDN, Penton EH, Burns JM, Hanzen DH, Hallwachs W (2004) Ten species in one: DNA barcoding reveals cryptic species in the neotropical skipper butterfly Astraptes fulgerator. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 101:14812–14817

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hyde-Roberts S, Daly C (2014) A rapid herpetofaunal assessment of Nosy Komba Island, northwestern Madagascar, with new locality records for seventeen species. Salamandra 50:18–26

    Google Scholar 

  • International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (1999) International code of zoological nomenclature, 4th edn. International Trust for Zoological Nomenclature, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackman TR, Bauer AM, Greenbaum E, Glaw F, Vences M (2008) Molecular phylogenetic relationships among species of the Malagasy-Comoran gecko genus Paroedura (Squamata: Gekkonidae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 46:74–81

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kato K, Ikemoto T, Park MK (2005) Identification of the reptilian prolactin and its receptor cDNAs in the leopard gecko, Eublepharis macularius. Gene 346:267–276

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar S, Stecher G, Tamura K (2016) MEGA7: Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis Version 7.0 for bigger datasets. Mol Biol Evol 33:1870–1874

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lemme I, Erbacher M, Kaffenberger N, Vences M, Köhler J (2013) Molecules and morphology suggest cryptic species diversity and an overall complex taxonomy of fish scale geckos, genus Geckolepis. Org Divers Evol 13:87–95

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marotta R, Crottini A, Raimondi E, Fondello C, Ferraguti M (2014) Alike but different: the evolution of the Tubifex tubifex species complex (Annelida, Clitellata) through polyploidization. BMC Evol Biol 14:73

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Meirte D (1999) Reptiles. In: Louette M (Ed) La faune terrestre de Mayotte. Annales du Musée royal de l'Afrique Centrale, Sciences zoologique 284:114–135

  • Meirte D (2004) Reptiles. In: Louette M, Meirte D, Jocqué R (Eds) La faune terrestre de l'archipel des Comores. Studies in Afrotropical Zoology 293:199–220

  • Mertens R (1967) Die herpetologische Sektion des Naturmuseums und Forschungsinstitutes Senckenberg in Frankfurt a. M. nebst einem Verzeichnis ihrer Typen. Senckenb Biol 48:1–106

    Google Scholar 

  • Metcalf CJE, Hampson K, Gray A, Andrianirina R (2007) Herpetofaunal assemblages on seven offshore islands of northwestern Madagascar. Trop Zool 20:151–161

    Google Scholar 

  • Miralles A, Köhler J, Glaw F, Vences M (2016) Species delimitation methods put into taxonomic practice: two new Madascincus species formerly allocated to historical species names (Squamata, Scincidae). Zoosystematics Evol 92:257–275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miralles A, Vasconcelos R, Perera A, Harris DJ, Carranza S (2011) An integrative taxonomic revision of the Cape Verdean skinks (Squamata, Scincidae). Zool Scr 40:16–44

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miralles A, Vences M (2013) New metrics for comparison of taxonomies reveal striking discrepancies among species delimitation methods in Madascincus lizards. PLoS One 8:e68242

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mocquard F (1909) Synopsis des familles, genres et espèces des reptiles éscailleux et des batraciens de Madagascar. Nouv Arch MusHist Nat 5:1–110

    Google Scholar 

  • Nagy ZT, Sonet G, Glaw F, Vences M (2012) First large-scale DNA barcoding assessment of reptiles in the biodiversity hotspot of Madagascar, based on newly designed COI primers. PLoS One 7:e34506

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nussbaum RA, Raxworthy CJ (1993) A new Madagascan Phelsuma, with a review of Phelsuma trilineata and comments on Phelsuma cepediana in Madagascar (Squamata: Gekkonidae). Herpetologica 49:342–349

    Google Scholar 

  • Nussbaum RA, Raxworthy CJ (1998) Revision of the genus Ebenavia Boettger (Reptilia: Squamata: Gekkonidae). Herpetologica 54:18–34

    Google Scholar 

  • Padial JM, Miralles A, De la Riva I, Vences M (2010) The integrative future of taxonomy. Front Zool 7:16

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Pakenham RHW (1983) The reptiles and amphibians of Zanzibar and Pemba Islands (with a note on the freshwater fishes). J East Africa Nat Soc Natl Mus 177:1–43

    Google Scholar 

  • Penny SG, Andreone F, Crottini A, Holderied MW, Rakotozafy LS, Schwitzer C, Rosa GM (2014) A new species of the Boophis rappiodes group (Anura, Mantellidae) from the Sahamalaza Peninsula, Northwest Madagascar, with acoustic monitoring of its nocturnal calling activity. Zookeys:111–132

  • Penny SG, Andreone F, Crottini A, Holderied MW, Rosa GM, Schwitzer C (2016) The amphibians of the Sahamalaza Peninsula, Northwest Madagascar—actions for their conservation. Bristol Zoological Society, Bristol

    Google Scholar 

  • Penny SG, Crottini A, Andreone F, Bellati A, Rakotozafy LS, Holderied MW, Schwitzer C, Rosa GM (2018) Combining old and new evidence to increase the known biodiversity value of the Sahamalaza Peninsula, Northwest Madagascar. Contrib Zool 86:273–296

    Google Scholar 

  • Pfenninger M, Schwenk K (2007) Cryptic animal species are homogeneously distributed among taxa and biogeographical regions. BMC Evol Biol 7:121. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2148-7-121

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Pons J, Barraclough TG, Gomez-Zurita J, Cardoso A, Duran DP, Hazell S, Kamoun S, Sumlin WD, Vogler AP (2006) Sequence-based species delimitation for the DNA taxonomy of undescribed insects. Syst Biol 55:595–609

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rabearivony J, Rasamoelina M, Raveloson J, Rakotomanana HV, Raselimanana AP, Raminosoa NR, Zaonarivelo JR (2015) Roles of a forest corridor between Marojejy, Anjanaharibe-Sud and Tsaratanana protected areas, northern Madagascar, in maintaining endemic and threatened Malagasy taxa. Madagascar Conserv Dev 10:85–92

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R Core Team (2014) R: a language and environment for statistical computing. R Development Core Team, Vienna

    Google Scholar 

  • Rakotomalala D, Raselimanana AP (2003) Les amphibiens et les reptiles des massifs de Marojejy, d'Anjanaharibe-Sud et du couloir forestier de Betaolana. In: Goodman SM, Wilmé L (eds) Nouveaux résultats d'inventaires biologiques faisant référence à l'altitude dans la région des massifs montagneux de Marojejy et d'Anjanaharibe-Sud. Rech Dévelop, Sér Sci Biol 19:147–202

  • Rakotondravony HA (2006) Patterns de la diversité des reptiles et amphibiens de la région de Loky-Manambato. In: Goodman SM, Wilmé L (Eds) Inventaires de la faune et de la flore du nord de Madagascar dans la région Loky-Manambato, Analamerana et Andavakoera. Rech Dévelop Sér Sci Biol 23:101–148

  • Ratnasingham S, Hebert PDN (2007) BOLD: the Barcode Of Life Data system (www.barcodinglife.org). Mol Ecol Notes 7:355–364

  • Ratnasingham S, Hebert PDN (2013) A DNA-based registry for all animal species: the Barcode Index Number (BIN) system. PLoS One 8:e66213

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ratsoavina FM, Raminosoa EEL, Raselimanana AP, Glaw F, Vences M (2013) An overview of Madagascar's leaf tailed geckos (genus Uroplatus): species boundaries, candidate species and review of geographical distribution based on molecular data. Salamandra 49:115–148

    Google Scholar 

  • Raxworthy CJ, Andreone F, Nussbaum RA, Rabibisoa N, Randriamahazo H (1998) Amphibians and reptiles of the Anjanaharibe-Sud Massif, Madagascar: elevational distribution and regional endemicity. Fieldiana Zool 90:79–92

    Google Scholar 

  • Raxworthy CJ, Pearson RG, Zimkus BM, Reddy S, Deo AJ, Nussbaum RA, Ingram CM (2008) Continental speciation in the tropics: contrasting biogeographic patterns of divergence in the Uroplatus leaf-tailed gecko radiation of Madagascar. J Zool 275:423–440

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Renner SS (2016) A return to Linnaeus’s focus on diagnosis, not description: the use of DNA characters in the formal naming of species. Syst Biol 65:1085–1095

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rodda GH, Campbell EW (2002) Distance sampling of forest snakes and lizards. Herpetol Rev 33:271–274

    Google Scholar 

  • Scherz MD, Daza JD, Köhler J, Vences M, Glaw F (2017) Off the scale: a new species of fish-scale gecko (Squamata: Gekkonidae: Geckolepis) with exceptionally large scales. PeerJ 5:e2955

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Schwitzer N, Randriatahina GH, Kaumanns W, Hoffmeister D, Schwitzer C (2007) Habitat utilization of blue-eyed black lemurs, Eulemur macaco flavifrons (Gray, 1867), in primary and altered forest fragments. Primate Conserv 22:79–87

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seiler M, Randriatahina GH, Schwitzer C (2017) The rapid boost of forest destruction and poaching of lemurs inside the Sahamalaza—Iles Radama National Park. Lemur News 16:28–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Spawls S, Howell K, Hinkel H, Menegon M (2018) Field guide to East African reptiles. Bloomsbury Natural History, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Sukumaran J, Knowles LL (2017) Multispecies coalescent delimits structure, not species. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 114:1607–1612

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Talavera G, Dincă V, Vila R (2013) Factors affecting species delimitations with the GMYC model: insights from a butterfly survey. Methods Ecol Evol 4:1101–1110

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vences M, Lima A, Miralles A, Glaw F (2014) DNA barcoding assessment of genetic variation in two widespread skinks from Madagascar, Trachylepis elegans and T. gravenhorstii (Squamata: Scincidae). Zootaxa 3755:477–484

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Volampeno, MSN (2009) Reproductive behaviour and habitat use in the blue-eyed black lemur (Eulemur flavifrons, Gray, 1867) at the Sahamalaza Peninsula, National Park Madagascar. University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, Pietermaritzburg

  • Wang C, Scherz MD, Montfort L, Hawlitschek O (2015) Complementary herpetological surveys to complete the ZNIEFF database of Mayotte: results. Direction de l'Environnement de l'Aménagement et du Logement (DEAL), Mayotte, France

  • Yang Z (2015) The BPP program for species tree estimation and species delimitation. Curr Zool 61:854–865

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang Z, Rannala B (2010) Bayesian species delimitation using multilocus sequence data. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 107:9264–9269

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Yang Z, Rannala B (2017) Bayesian species identification under the multispecies coalescent provides significant improvements to DNA barcoding analyses. Mol Ecol 26:3028–3036

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank F. Andreone, J. Berger, H.-P. Berghof, M. Bletz, P. Bora, B. Brückmann, N. Cole, S. Faravelli, J. Forster, K. Freeman, P.-S. Gehring, George, K. Glaw, T. Glaw, D.J. Harris, S. Hyde Roberts, J. Köhler, H. Lava, K. Mebert, L. Montfort, J. Noel, M. Pabijan, S. Penny, I. Porton, D. Prötzel, M. Puente, L. Raharivololoniaina, E. Rajeriarison, T. Rajoafiarison, A. Rakotoarison, L. Randriamanana, M. Randriamialisoa, F. Randrianasolo, R.D. Randrianiaina, S. Rasamison, F.M. Ratsoavina, A. Razafimanantsoa, J. H. Razafindraibe, D. Rödder, G.M. Rosa, D. Salvi, E. Scanarini, V. Tatayah, M. Thomas, J.H. Velo, M. Vences, D.R. Vieites, and C.Y.H. Wang-Claypool, as well as the teams from the CNDRS and Dahari, Comoros, the DEAL and Naturalistes, Mayotte, and Frontier, Nosy Be, Madagascar, for contributing specimens, pictures and observational data, and support in the field. Furthermore, we thank C.J. McCarthy and P. Campbell (BMNH, London), G. Köhler and L. Mogk (SMF, Frankfurt), W. Böhme (ZFMK, Bonn), and D. Langer (ZMB, Berlin) for granting us access to their collections and M. Franzen (ZSM, Munich) and F. Tillack (ZMB, Berlin) for general collection-based support. Authorities at Antananarivo (Madagascar), Zanzibar (Tanzania, for Pemba), Mamoudzou (Mayotte, France), Moroni (Comoros), and Port Louis (Mauritius) are acknowledged for issuing collection and export permits. Finally, we thank M. Balke, Munich, and K. Tamar, Barcelona, for providing computational and lab infrastructure, A.W. Lam for the technical support in the lab, M. Spies for nomenclatural advice, and three anonymous referees for providing very thorough and competent reviews of the manuscript of this paper.

Funding

The research was financially supported by the Volkswagen Foundation, the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund (projects 0925157 and 11253064) to FG and OH, by DAAD grant D/09/49634 to OH, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft DFG (GL 314/1) to FG, DFG (BA2152/7-1) to M. Balke, and DFG (HA 7255/2-1) to OH, by the Portuguese National Funds through FCT–Foundation for Science and Technology under the IF/00209/2014/CP1256/CT0011 Exploratory Research Project, the Investigador FCT (IF) grant (IF/00209/2014) and by the Saint Louis Zoo’s Field Research for Conservation programme (FRC# 12-12) of the Wildcare Institute and Gondwana Conservation and Research to AC. The ‘Freunde der Zoologischen Staatssammlung München’, the Society of the University of Munich, and EES funding programme of the University of Munich provided additional financial support.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zoologische Staatssammlung München (ZSM-SNSB), Münchhausenstr. 21, 81247, Munich, Germany

    Oliver Hawlitschek, Mark D. Scherz, Bernhard Ruthensteiner & Frank Glaw

  2. Division of Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute, Braunschweig University of Technology, Mendelssohnstr. 4, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany

    Mark D. Scherz

  3. CIBIO, Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBIO, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal

    Angelica Crottini

Authors
  1. Oliver Hawlitschek
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mark D. Scherz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Bernhard Ruthensteiner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Angelica Crottini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Frank Glaw
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Oliver Hawlitschek.

Additional information

Communicated by: Sven Thatje

Electronic supplementary material

ESM 1

: Morphological counts and measurements of all specimens examined, including the ANOVA results. (XLSX 58 kb)

ESM 2

: Micro-CT scans of the skulls of Ebenavia inunguis, E. boettgeri, E. tuelinae sp. nov., E. safari sp. nov., and E. robusta sp. nov. in dorsal and lateral view. Length of scale bars = 1 mm. (PNG 9619 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Hawlitschek, O., Scherz, M.D., Ruthensteiner, B. et al. Computational molecular species delimitation and taxonomic revision of the gecko genus Ebenavia Boettger, 1878. Sci Nat 105, 49 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-018-1574-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-018-1574-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation