Cryptic diversity in the mountains of Oman: the case of the Ptyodactylus geckos

Abstract

The Ptyodactylus geckos are a strictly rock-dwelling genus with homogeneous morphology. Its distribution range includes large parts across western African to the eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. Recently, an extensive molecular phylogeny with two mitochondrial (12S and cytb) and four nuclear markers (c-mos, MC1R, ACM4, RAG2) has revealed high levels of genetic variability within some taxa, indicative of undescribed diversity. One of the most interesting cases is the P. hasselquistii species complex, including among others, populations from North Oman and the eastern United Arab Emirates, main focus of the present study. An extensive sampling of these areas has allowed us to define their distribution, analyze the phylogeographic patterns and intraspecific diversity and, finally, place their diversification in a temporal framework. Our analyses indicate that there is a new species from the Ruus al Jibal area, at the northeastern-most tip of the Arabian Peninsula, morphologically very similar to populations from northern Oman (described as P. orlovi from one locality, Nazarov et. al. 2013). The onset of their diversification is estimated to have occurred during the Late Miocene, a period when an increase in aridification in North Africa and Arabia initiated.