Morphological variation in Egernia Napoleonis and Egernia Kingii (Lacertilia: Scinidae)

Barbara Jones

External morphological variation in the scincids Egernia napoleonis (Gray) and Egernia kingii (Gray) was analysed using multivariate techniques to investigate aspects of morphological variation in both species. Variation in museum specimens was investigated using 12 locality samples of E. napoleonis and 10 of E. kingii distributed throughout the species distribution (which in both species includes a number of island samples). Measurements were analysed using multiple group principal component analysis to correct for the effects of variation in body size in different samples. Canonical variate and cluster analyses were performed on meristic and continuous variables to investigate phenetic variation within and between samples. Major sources of morphological variation are due to age-determined and age-independent variation in body size and to sexual dimorphism. In E. napoleonis the number of midbody scale rows appears to act as a growth independent indicator of general body size. In both species variation in midbody scale rows is primarily clinal, though some isolated populations tend to deviate from the general trend. It is proposed that the relatively high degree of concordance of pattern in morphological variation for the two species provides evidence that supports the assertion that a close phylogenetic relationship exists between E.napoleonis and E. kingii.

Morphological variation in Egernia Napoleonis and Egernia Kingii (Lacertilia: Scinidae)

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