Gekkonidae

Conrad, J. L., 2008, Phylogeny And Systematics Of Squamata (Reptilia) Based On Morphology, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2008 (310), pp. 1-182 : 95

Gekkonidae + Eublepharidae

(figs. 54B, 55B)

DIAGNOSIS: Gekkonids and eublepharids are joined in this analysis by only two unambiguous synapomorphies. These are 73(1) fused parietals and 284(0) pelvic elements co-ossified (sutures lost).

COMMENTS: Numerous hypotheses for the interrelationships of the gekkotan clades have been put forward. Traditionally, a dichotomy has been described between limbed and limbless gekkotans ( Kluge, 1967, 1983; Estes et al., 1988; Wu et al., 1996; Lee, 1998). However, Kluge (1987) suggested that the basal gekkotan dichotomy lay between eublepharids and all other gekkotans, with diplodactylines being the sister group to pygopodines. The latter hypothesis has been supported by one recent morphological study of gekkonomorph relationships ( Conrad and Norell, 2006a). However, a recent molecular analysis ( Han et al., 2004) with extensive taxonomic sampling offers some support for a new hypothesis in which eublepharids and gekkonids form the sisterclade to a Pygopodidae sensu Kluge (1987 ; see below). A recent analysis of diplodactylines raises questions about the monophyly of that group as it has been traditionally conceived ( Donnellan et al., 1999). Importantly, the present phylogenetic analysis offers the same topological hypothesis for extant ‘‘families’’ as Han et al. (2004). Future versions of this data matrix will include more extensive sampling of gekkonids.