A Morphological Analysis of the Teiid Lizards Cnemidophorus tigris tigris and C. tigris gracilis from a Contact Zone in Northwestern Arizona
Taylor HL. 1990. A Morphological Analysis of the Teiid Lizards Cnemidophorus tigris tigris and C. tigris gracilis from a Contact Zone in Northwestern Arizona. Herpetologica. 46(4):447-456
Peripheral populations of Cnemidophorus tigris tigris and C. t. gracilis contacted one another a short distance south of Lake Mead at Detrital Wash, Mojave Co., Arizona. A canonical variates analysis revealed a pronounced shift from phenotypes of C. t. tigris to C. t. gracilis across a distance of only 16 km. A sample from the center of this transition area contained two discrete class specimens. The presence of an intact parental phenotype from the center of the zone suggested the presence of an impediment to introgression. There is evidence of hybridization, which is being monitored.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Taylor, Harry
- Units
- LAKE
- Keywords
- Absence (Biodiversity), Animal Studies, clines, Cnemidophorus tigris (Western Whiptail), Contact zone, Geographic Variation, Herpetology, Hybridization, Presence (Biodiversity), Reptilia (Reptiles), Secondary intergradation, Speciation, Squamata, Subspecies, Taxa Links To References, Teiidae (Ground Lizards Whiptails Racerunners)