TitleA phylogeny of open-habitat lizards (Squamata: Lacertidae: Ophisops) supports the antiquity of Indian grassy biomes
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2017
AuthorsAgarwal I, Ramakrishnan U
JournalJOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
Volume44
Issue9
Pagination2021-2032
Date Published09/2017
Abstract

India is dominated by tropical grassy biomes (TGBs), traditionally considered seres or degraded forest, with low diversity relative to the restricted, ancestral wet zone. It is unclear if Indian grasslands and other open habitats are anthropogenically derived or native, old-growth habitats; without a clear timescale of grassland evolution. One way to understand grassland evolution is to study the diversification in taxa restricted to open habitats. We use a dated phylogeny of Ophisops to address questions related to the origin, diversification and inter-relationships of Indian and Saharo-Arabian Ophisops, and ultimately the origin of Indian grasslands and open habitats.

DOI10.1111/jbi.12999