Complex boulengeri

An appreciable amount of research has been devoted to understand the diversity, biogeography and phylogenetic relationships of the Liolaemus species belonging to the complex boulengeri (Etheridge 1993, 1995, 2000; Morando et al. 2004; Abdala 2007; see also Halloy et al. 1998; Cruz et al. 2005). Indeed, this group of Liolaemus is perhaps the best known phylogenetically within the entire family Liolaemidae . In general, most phylogenetic hypotheses support the idea that two major clades form this large complex of species, one recognized as wiegmannii clade or subgenus Ortholaemus (Cei 1993; Etheridge 1995, 2000; Espinoza et al. 2004; Cruz et al. 2005), and the other as fitzingerii clade (Pincheira-Donoso & Núñez 2005; see Etheridge 1995; Schulte et al. 2000, for phylogenetic details).