Molecular systematics of social skinks: Phylogeny and taxonomy of the Egernia group (Reptilia: Scincidae)

Abstract

The lizards of the Egernia group of Australia and Melanesia include some of the most distinctive members of the family Scincidae in morphology (including giant size, spinose scalation), ecology and behaviour. Social behaviour, including long-term recognition of individuals and kin, mate fidelity and home site fidelity, is amongst the most complex known in squamate reptiles and is the subject of an expanding number of studies. Lack of a sound phylogeny for the Egernia group has limited our ability to understand the evolution and patterns of variation in social behaviour within this group, and evidence for the monophyly of the largest genus, Egernia (64% of the species), has been lacking. We p..