Topic
Cyclura
About: Cyclura is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 72 publications have been published within this topic receiving 1220 citations.
Papers published on a yearly basis
Papers
TL;DR: Parametric simulations suggest that Cyclura may be misplaced by the protein-coding genes as a result of long-branch attraction; even when Cyclura and Iguana are sister taxa in a simulated phylogeny, Cyclura is still placed as the basal member of the Iguanini by parsimony analysis in 55% of the replicates.
Abstract: Recent studies based on different types of data (ie, morphology, molecules) have found strongly conflicting phylogenies for the genera of iguanid lizards but have been unable to explain the basis for this incongruence We reanalyze published data from morphology and from the mito- chondrial ND4, cytochrome b, 12S, and 16S genes to explore the sources of incongruence and re- solve these conflicts Much of the incongruence centers on the genus Cyclura, which is the sister taxon of Iguana, according to parsimony analyses of the morphology and the ribosomal genes, but is the sister taxon of all other Iguanini, according to the protein-coding genes Maximum likelihood analyses show that there has been an increase in the rate of nucleotide substitution in Cyclura in the two protein-coding genes (ND4 and cytochrome b), although this increase is not as clear when par- simony is used to estimate branch lengths Parametric simulations suggest that Cyclura may be mis- placed by the protein-coding genes as a result of long-branch attraction; even when Cyclura and Iguana are sister taxa in a simulated phylogeny, Cyclura is still placed as the basal member of the Iguanini by parsimony analysis in 55% of the replicates A similar long-branch attraction problem may also exist in the morphological data with regard to the placement of Sauromalus with the Gala - pagos iguanas ( Amblyrhynchus and Conolophus) The results have many implications for the analysis of diverse data sets, the impact of long branches on parsimony and likelihood methods, and the use of certain protein-coding genes in phylogeny reconstruction (Data set incongruence; Iguanidae; likelihood; long-branch attraction, parsimony)
136 citations
Book•
1 Jan 2000
TL;DR: The West Indian Iguanas form a unique group of species inhabiting tropical dry forests throughout the Bahanas and the Greater and Lesser Antilles and are among the most endangered of the world's lizards, primarily because much of their fragile island habitat has been eliminated by human developemnt or severely degraded by exotic species as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The West Indian Iguanas form a unique group of species inhabiting tropical dry forests throughout the Bahanas and the Greater and Lesser Antilles. They are among the most endangered of the world's lizards, primarily because much of their fragile island habitat has been eliminated by human developemnt or severely degraded by exotic species. The Jamaican iguana, considered by some to be the rarest lizard in the world, may number no more than 100 adults. Because iguanas are likely to be important seed dispersers for many endemic plants, their loss has serious consequences for the ecosystems in which they live. This plan summarises the status of wild populations, identifies the primary threats, and recommends specific actions. A list of national agencies, research institutions in the countries of origin of taxa covered in the plan is included
92 citations
TL;DR: A molecular clock is calculated that suggests that Cyclura colonized the Caribbean between 15 and 35 mya and is recovered as monophyletic and is not closely related to any other genus, whereas Iguana is strongly supported as the sister taxon to Sauromalus.
77 citations
TL;DR: Empirical results to date suggest that Caribbean rock iguanas are prime candidates for headstart-release programs, avenues for future research are explored that could help enhance restoration success.
66 citations
Related Topics (5)
Performance Metrics
| Year | Papers |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2020 | 6 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2015 | 2 |