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Coming To America: Multiple Origins Of New World Geckos, Tony Gamble, A. M. Bauer, G. R. Colli, E. Greenbaum, T. R. Jackman, Laurie J. Vitt, Andrew M. Simons

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Geckos in the Western Hemisphere provide an excellent model to study faunal assembly at a continental scale. We generated a time-calibrated phylogeny, including exemplars of all New World gecko genera, to produce a biogeographic scenario for the New World geckos. Patterns of New World gecko origins are consistent with almost every biogeographic scenario utilized by a terrestrial vertebrate with different New World lineages showing evidence of vicariance, dispersal via temporary land bridge, overseas dispersal, or anthropogenic introductions. We also recovered a strong relationship between clade age and species diversity, with older New World lineages having more species than more recently …