species delimitation in the continental forms of the genus epicrates (serpentes, boidae) integrating phylogenetics and environmental niche models属的物种界定在大陆形式epicrates(蛇亚目,蟒科)集成系统发生学和环境生态位模型.pdfVIP

Species Delimitation in the Continental Forms of the Genus Epicrates (Serpentes, Boidae) Integrating Phylogenetics and Environmental Niche Models 1,2 1 ´ 2 2 1 Paula C. Rivera *, Valeria Di Cola , Juan J. Martınez , Cristina N. Gardenal , Margarita Chiaraviglio ´ ´ ´ ´ ´ 1 Laboratorio de Biologıa del Comportamiento, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fısicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Cordoba, Cordoba, Argentina, 2 Catedra de ´ ´ ´ ´ ´ Genetica de Poblaciones y Evolucion, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fısicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Cordoba, Cordoba, Argentina Abstract Until recently, the genus Epicrates (Boidae) presented only one continental species, Epicrates cenchria, distributed in Central and South America, but after a taxonomic revision using morphologic characters five species were recognized: E. cenchria, E. crassus, E. maurus, E. assisi, and E. alvarezi. We analyzed two independent data sets, environmental niche models and phylogeny based on molecular information, to explore species delimitation in the continental species of this genus. Our results indicated that the environmental requirements of the species are different; therefore there are not evidences of ecological interchangeability among them. There is a clear correlation between species distributions and the major biogeographic regions of Central and South America. Their overall distr