Title |
Conquering the Sahara and Arabian deserts: systematics and biogeography of Stenodactylus geckos (Reptilia: Gekkonidae)
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Published in |
BMC Ecology and Evolution, December 2012
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DOI | 10.1186/1471-2148-12-258 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Margarita Metallinou, Edwin Nicholas Arnold, Pierre-André Crochet, Philippe Geniez, José Carlos Brito, Petros Lymberakis, Sherif Baha El Din, Roberto Sindaco, Michael Robinson, Salvador Carranza |
Abstract |
The evolutionary history of the biota of North Africa and Arabia is inextricably tied to the complex geological and climatic evolution that gave rise to the prevalent deserts of these areas. Reptiles constitute an exemplary group in the study of the arid environments with numerous well-adapted members, while recent studies using reptiles as models have unveiled interesting biogeographical and diversification patterns. In this study, we include 207 specimens belonging to all 12 recognized species of the genus Stenodactylus. Molecular phylogenies inferred using two mitochondrial (12S rRNA and 16S rRNA) and two nuclear (c-mos and RAG-2) markers are employed to obtain a robust time-calibrated phylogeny, as the base to investigate the inter- and intraspecific relationships and to elucidate the biogeographical history of Stenodactylus, a genus with a large distribution range including the arid and hyper-arid areas of North Africa and Arabia. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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Spain | 1 | 50% |
United States | 1 | 50% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
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Members of the public | 2 | 100% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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Portugal | 3 | 3% |
Spain | 3 | 3% |
United Kingdom | 2 | 2% |
France | 2 | 2% |
Germany | 1 | <1% |
United Arab Emirates | 1 | <1% |
Sudan | 1 | <1% |
Czechia | 1 | <1% |
Unknown | 90 | 87% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
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Student > Ph. D. Student | 26 | 25% |
Student > Master | 14 | 13% |
Student > Bachelor | 14 | 13% |
Researcher | 11 | 11% |
Other | 7 | 7% |
Other | 18 | 17% |
Unknown | 14 | 13% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 62 | 60% |
Environmental Science | 13 | 13% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 7 | 7% |
Computer Science | 2 | 2% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 1 | <1% |
Other | 4 | 4% |
Unknown | 15 | 14% |