Older than the islands: origin and diversification of Galapagos leaf-toed geckos (Phyllodactylidae: Phyllodactylus) by multiple colonizations

摘要

AimWe re-examine the biogeography of the leaf-toed geckos (Phyllodactylus) endemic to the Galapagos Islands. Our aim was to (1) test the multiple-colonization hypothesis against the single-colonization scenario proposed for most terrestrial organisms in the archipelago, (2) estimate the age of colonization of Phyllodactylus, and (3) evaluate the roles of dispersal and vicariance in the evolution of these lizards.