Phylogenetic relationships of Australian skinks of the Mabuya group (Reptilia: Scincidae) inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequences.

Portions of two mitochondrial genes (12S and 16S ribosomal RNAs) were sequenced to analyze the phylogenetic relationships of the Mabuya group from the Australian region (Corucia, Egernia and Tiliqua). Results indicated the monophyly of these genera and their divergence from Asian and African members of this group. This suggests that the diversity of the Mabuya group in the Australian region has increased through an endemic radiation, not through multiple colonizations from outside. Among the genera from this region, Corucia and Tiliqua were closest to each other. This result contradicts with those of the previous hypotheses on the basis of morphological and immunological data that, respectively, suggested closest affinities between Corucia and Egernia, and Egernia and Tiliqua. We suppose that the morphological characters exclusively joining Corucia and Egernia are actually in plesiomorphic state.