Out of Arabia: A Complex Biogeographic History of Multiple Vicariance and Dispersal Events in the Gecko Genus Hemidactylus (Reptilia: Gekkonidae)

A comprehensive phylogenetic and biogeographic analysis of the gecko genus Hemidactylus reveals a complex history shaped by vicariance and dispersal events spanning 30 million years. The study identifies two basal divergences linked to the break-up of the Arabian and African landmasses, as well as the separation of Socotra from the Arabian mainland. Subsequent radiations led to multiple independent expansions into Iran (13.1 Ma), northeastern Africa (9.8 Ma and 5.9 Ma), and Socotra (8.2 Ma and 4.1 Ma). The research also uncovers cryptic diversity within the genus, particularly in southwestern Arabia and the Ethiopian highlands, confirming at least seven new species. This highlights Arabia and the Horn of Africa as critical hotspots for Hemidactylus diversity.

Šmíd, J., Carranza, S., Kratochvíl, L., Gvoždík, V., Nasher, A. K., & Moravec, J. (2013). Out of Arabia: A Complex Biogeographic History of Multiple Vicariance and Dispersal Events in the Gecko Genus Hemidactylus (Reptilia: Gekkonidae). PLoS ONE, 8(5), e64018. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0064018