Genetic Diversity and Genealogical Relationships of Anolis nebulosus and Anolis microlepidotus

Clouded Anole (Anolis nebulosus) and Guerreran Oak Anole (Anolis microlepidotus), there are two endemic species of Mexico. They can be found in tropical deciduous forest, semi-evergreen forest, xeric scrub, and pine-oak forests. It has been reported that Anolis species present a rapid adaptation to their habitat, which occurs in a few generations, and episodes of natural selection that lead to evolution on a contemporary time scale have also been observed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the genetic diversity and the genealogical relationships of groups of A. nebulosus and A. microlepidotus individuals. The study was carried out on specimens collected from locations in central Mexico, through the markers of 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA). Both species showed a high haplotype and nucleotide diversity, suggesting a large and stable population with an ancient history. However, low haplotype and nucleotide diversity were observed in both species, alongside high genetic differentiation among groups of individuals from different localities; this suggest low vagility and supports the proposal to consider multiple phylogeographic lineages as evolutionarily significant units.