biostudies-literatureUnknown8(11)Pepper MThe isolated uplands of the Australian arid zone are known to provide mesic refuges in an otherwise xeric landscape, and divergent lineages of largely arid zone taxa have persisted in these regions following the onset of Miocene aridification. Geckos of the genus Heteronotia are one such group, and have been the subject of many genetic studies, including H. spelea, a strongly banded form that occurs in the uplands of the Pilbara and Central Ranges regions of the Australian arid zone. Here we assess the systematics of these geckos based on detailed examination of morphological and genetic variation. The H. spelea species complex is a monophyletic lineage to the exclusion of the H. binoei and H. planiceps species complexes. Within the H. spelea complex, our previous studies based on mtDNA anPloS onee78110https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC3823942biostudies-literatureSpeciation on the rocks: integrated systematics of the Heteronotia spelea species complex (Gekkota; Reptilia) from Western and Central Australia.PMC3823942Keogh JSPepper MFujita MKMoritz CDoughty PfalseSpeciation on the rocks: integrated systematics of the Heteronotia spelea species complex (Gekkota; Reptilia) from Western and Central Australia.The isolated uplands of the Australian arid zone are known to provide mesic refuges in an otherwise xeric landscape, and divergent lineages of largely arid zone taxa have persisted in these regions following the onset of Miocene aridification. Geckos of the genus Heteronotia are one such group, and have been the subject of many genetic studies, including H. spelea, a strongly banded form that occurs in the uplands of the Pilbara and Central Ranges regions of the Australian arid zone. Here we assess the systematics of these geckos based on detailed examination of morphological and genetic variation. The H. spelea species complex is a monophyletic lineage to the exclusion of the H. binoei and H. planiceps species complexes. Within the H. spelea complex, our previous studies based on mtDNA an2013-01-01T00:00:00Z20132026-04-08T02:27:00.572Z2026-04-07T20:54:39.748ZS-EPMC38239422424428910.1371/journal.pone.0078110