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Exploring Chihuahuan Desert Diversification In The Gray-Banded Kingsnake, Lampropeltis Alterna (Serpentes: Colubridae), Edward A. Myers, Robert W. Bryson Jr, Robert W. Hansen, Matthew L. Aardema, David Lazcano, Frank T. Burbrink

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Within many biomes, the cause of phylogeographic structure remains unknown even across regions throughout North America, including within the biodiverse Chihuahuan Desert. For example, little is known about population structure or the timing of diversification of Chihuahuan endemics. This is due largely to the lack of population genomic studies within this region. We generated ultra-conserved element data for the gray-banded kingsnake (Lampropeltis alterna) to investigate lineage divergence and historical demography across the Chihuahuan Desert. We found three unique lineages corresponding to the Trans-Pecos and Mapimian biogeographic regions of the Chihuahuan Desert, and a distinct population in the Sierra Madre Occidental. …