@ARTICLE{TreeBASE2Ref17440, author = {James Allen Schulte II and Jane Melville and Allan Larson}, title = {Molecular phylogenetic evidence for ancient divergence of lizard taxa on either side of Wallace's Line.}, year = {2003}, keywords = {Wallace's Line; Biogeography; Gondwana; Agamidae; Varanidae; Molecular Clock}, doi = {10.1098/rspb.2002.2272}, url = {}, pmid = {}, journal = {Proceedings of the Royal Society B}, volume = {270}, number = {1515}, pages = {597--603}, abstract = {Wallace's Line, separating the terrestrial faunas of Southeast Asia from the Australia-New Guinea region, is the most prominent and well-studied biogeographic division in the world. Phylogenetically distinct subgroups of major animal and plant groups have been documented on either side of Wallace's Line since it was first proposed in 1859. Despite its importance, the temporal history of fragmentation across this line is virtually unknown and the geological foundation has rarely been discussed. Using molecular phylogenetics and dating techniques, we show that the split between taxa on the Southeast Asian and Australian-New Guinean geological regions occurred during the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous in two independent lizard clades. This estimate is compatible with the hypothesis of rifting Gondwanan continental fragments during the Mesozoic and strongly rejects the hypothetical origin of various members of the Australian-New Guinean herpetofauna as relatively recent invasions from Southeast Asia. Our finding suggests an ancient fragementation of lizard taxa on either side of Wallace's Line and provides further evidence that the composition of modern global communities has been significantly affected by rifting and accretion of Gondwanan continental plates during the Mid to Late Mesozoic.} }

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