Cladistic Relationships in the Gekkonoidea (Squamata, Sauria)

Kluge, Arnold C;. 1987. Cladistcc Relationships in the Gtjkkonozden (.Squamnta, Sauria). Misc. P I L ~ I ~ . MUS. 2001. liniu. hfzrhzgnn, 173:I-54, fzgs. 1-12.-Thr phylogcrlctic relationships among gekko and pygopod lizards arr investigated. T h e most parsimonious hypothesis contains srvel-a1 well-corroborated tladcs. 1-wcnty-seven synapomorphies rhararterizr the group gckkos + pygopods. Eublrpharines rrprcsent the most primitive linragc, and its sister-group is diagnosecl by four shared derived features. T h u s , gckkos arr n o longer consiclrred a monophylctic assemblage. Tllc sister-group relationship between diplodactylines a r ~ d pygopods is based o n ;I single apomorphy, :I rnratal closure muscle that encircles or nearly crrcircles the rxterr~al auciitol-y rnratus. T h e majority of grkkosgekkonirles and sphaerodactylines-form a n assemblage diagnosrd by tour apemorphies, with thc genus Tert~torcincus being the sis~er-lineage to all others. Sphaelodactylines and the gcnus Pristurus corrstitu~e ;t group which is set apart by six synapomorplries. Prlslurus and Gontctodes are sistcr-taxa, in that ortier, to the remaining sph;lerodactylincs. T h e absence of the second cer;~tobr.anchial arch di;ignoses a large group o f gckkonines, mostly Afl-ican in distribution. A strictly monophylctic classititation is proposed, and thr phylogmctichypothesis o n which it is founded is cotlsistrtlt with sever;ll major rverlts in the brr;tkup of