Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Vinny,

I just read through your paper,

Lynch, V. and G. Wagner (2009). "DID EGG-LAYING BOAS BREAK DOLLO'S LAW? PHYLOGENETIC EVIDENCE FOR REVERSAL TO OVIPARITY IN SAND BOAS (ERYX: BOIDAE)." Evolution...

Very interesting.... I noticed in the phylogenetic trees that E. t. tataricus and E. t. vittatus come out sister to one another. What is your take on that? It would of been interesting to include the E. jaculus ssp.

-Chris
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Christopher E. Smith
Contact
Captive Bred Herps

Thanks, hope you like it.

I think there are two potential problems. The first is that I did not generate the sequence data for those two species, I got them from the GenBank database, so it is possible that the original producer of the data got the species wrong. Second, notice that the branch lengths are short and that the error in the branch length estimates overlap a lot, that means speciation happened pretty fast leaving not so much information to get accurate relationships. The cure is to get more samples, I would love to get many many more. Finally have E. meulleri and some ruffie DNA to play with so there will be a new tree eventually

Vinny
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“There is a grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that whilst this planet has gone on cycling according to the fixed laws of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.” -C. Darwin, 1859

Natural Selection Reptiles

Thanks for the explanation. I look forward to seeing new trees!

-Chris
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Christopher E. Smith
Contact
Captive Bred Herps

Any way I can get a copy of this paper? Sounds like a great read.

Thanks!

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Travis Rose
Lazy S Snake Ranch
2.5 Boa constrictors (various morphs)
4.6 Kenyan sand boas (various morphs)
1.2 Indian sand boas
0.3 Dogs
0.3 Cats
0.1 Very understanding & pregnant wife
1.0 Toddler (already a snake lover)

Sure enough, I havent got the pdf yet. Once I do I'll send you a link....
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“There is a grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that whilst this planet has gone on cycling according to the fixed laws of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.” -C. Darwin, 1859

Natural Selection Reptiles