Monitors cross the Red Sea: The biogeographic history of Varanus yemenensis

The Red Sea has had a profound biogeographic effect on organisms with Afro-Asian distributions, resulting in complex patterns of admixture on the Arabian Peninsula. We investigate the phylogenetic affinities of a monitor lizard (Varanus yemenensis) restricted to the southwestern Arabian Peninsula by sequencing all African monitor species and several Asian monitor species for the mitochondrial gene ND2 and the nuclear marker RAG-1. We find evidence that V. yemenensis is of African origin, being most closely related to the white-throat monitor, V. albigularis, an African species complex distributed from the Horn of Africa to southern Africa. Using divergence-dating analyses, we investigate several biogeographic hypotheses to infer the likely mechanism of colonization of the Arabian Peninsula by this species. Our results reveal that both dispersal across a southern land bridge and overwater dispersal are potential explanations. The patterns observed in V. yemenensis are contrasted with other taxa having similar Afro-Arabian disjunct distributions to better understand the complex biogeographic history of this region.

Highlights► Varanus yemenensis is a recently described monitor lizard restricted to the southwestern Arabian Peninsula. ► Based on mitochondrial and nuclear data, V. yemenensis is determined to be of African origin, rather than Asian origin. ► Varanus yemenesis is most closely related to Varanus albigularis microstictus. ► Divergence dating reveals a late Miocene to early Pliocene split. ► Both an overwater dispersal event or southern land bridge dispersal can explain the original colonization event.