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Historical and contemporary demography of leaf-toed geckos (Phyllodactylidae: Phyllodactylus tuberculosus saxatilis) in the Mexican dry forest

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Abstract

Disentangling the relative influence of historical versus contemporary processes shaping the spatial distribution of genetic variation is critical if we are to effectively mitigate key biodiversity issues. We utilize a comprehensive approach based on different molecular marker types and analytical methods to understand the demographic consequences of recent habitat fragmentation in a spatially explicit context. We focus our efforts on native leaf-toed geckos (Phyllodactylus tuberculosus saxatilis) throughout fragmented habitat in the tropical dry forest of northern Mexico as recent evidence suggests that geographic ranges for these geckos may be much smaller than currently realized. However, no data are available regarding recent shifts in demographic trends and how these trends may correspond with recent fragmentation and introductions of non-native gecko species (Hemidactylus). Mitochondrial DNA sequences reveal substantial historical genetic divergence over a small geographic area (<40 km). We find evidence for an increase in contemporary versus historical migration rates based on 10 microsatellite loci, but evidence that many populations suffer from recent reductions in effective population sizes. Landscape genetic analyses find that contemporary migration rates are significantly more correlated with the landscape versus historical migration rates or mtDNA divergence, suggesting that individuals have altered their dispersal routes in response to recent habitat changes. Taken together, this study suggests that long-term female philopatry, recent habitat fragmentation, and possibly introductions of non-native gecko species all contribute to the demographic patterns and the high degree of differentiation observed over fine-spatial scales in Mexican leaf-toed geckos.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank A. Ngo, D. Dewsbury, I. Conflitti, and C. Davy for providing insightful comments on previous drafts of the manuscript. This research was supported by a discovery grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and by the Royal Ontario Museum Board of Governors to RWM. Support was also provided from a Theodore Roosevelt Memorial grant through the American Museum of Natural History (CB). Invaluable field assistance was provided by Martin G. Figueroa, Norberto Martinez Mendez, Rafael Lara Resendiz and Arabel Escalona López. Fieldwork in reserves was conducted under the permit issued to Dr. Francisco Molina Freaner. Stephanie A. Meyer provided invaluable advice and field logistics. All research was conducted using approved Animal Use Protocols. All necessary permits (SGPA/DGVS/1995/08, SGPA/DGVS/01493/09, SGPA/DGVS/3220/10) were obtained from SEMARNAT through the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM).

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  1. Christopher Blair

    Present address: Department of Biological Sciences, New York City College of Technology, The City University of New York, 300 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada

    Christopher Blair & Robert W. Murphy

  2. Department of Natural History, Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen’s Park, Toronto, ON, M5S 2C6, Canada

    Christopher Blair & Robert W. Murphy

  3. Laboratorio de Herpetologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, A.P. 70-153, C.P. 04510, Mexico, Mexico

    Victor H. Jiménez Arcos & Fausto R. Méndez de la Cruz

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Blair, C., Jiménez Arcos, V.H., de la Cruz, F.R.M. et al. Historical and contemporary demography of leaf-toed geckos (Phyllodactylidae: Phyllodactylus tuberculosus saxatilis) in the Mexican dry forest. Conserv Genet 16, 419–429 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-014-0668-y

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