Environmental and geological changes in the Tarim Basin promoted the phylogeographic formation of Phrynocephalus forsythii (Squamata: Agamidae).

Environmental factors can promote genetic divergence among populations. The Tarim Basin has experienced a series of environmental and geological changes since the late Pliocene. Phrynocephalus forsythii (Agamidae) has a continuous and circular distribution around the Tarim Basin, and the evolutionary history of this species remains unclear. In the present study, mitochondrial DNA and single nucleotide polymorphism sequences were obtained from 195 P. forsythii samples in the Tarim Basin to examine the phylogeographic structure and evolutionary history of this species. All populations of P. forsythii formed three distinct clusters: the Minfeng, low-elevation, and high-elevation groups. The Minfeng group was the first to separate from all other groups at 4.26 Ma after the original desert environment emerged in the Tarim Basin. The uplift of the Kunlun Mountains created a new high-altitude environment along the southwestern edge of the basin and promoted the divergence of low-elevation and high-elevation groups at 3.67 Ma. Subsequently, the gradual development of deserts and rivers in the Tarim Basin accelerated the dispersal of P. forsythii, eventually forming the current distribution pattern. Our results indicate that ecological separation caused by environmental and geological changes in the Tarim Basin was the main cause for the genetic divergence of P. forsythii.
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