Conserving Endemic Lizards in Mexico through Areas of Endemism and Temporal Strata

Areas of endemism are biogeographic patterns that represent evolutionary evidence of taxa that can be used as surrogates in conservation of biodiversity. The geographic distribution of 83 Mexican species of lizards from three families with a high percentage of species restricted to the country was used to identify areas of endemism using the NDM/VNDM program. Temporal strata of the species forming those areas of endemism were incorporated to recognize the areas as evolutionary units. The prioritization of sites of major importance for lizard conservation was determined using six measures. Four areas of endemism were identified, three montane (Sierra Madre del Sur, Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, and Sierra Madre Oriental) and one lowland (Veracruzan province). It was determined that the four areas of endemism form evolutionary units supported by synchronous and asynchronous species in temporal strata ranging from the Miocene to the Pliocene. The Sierra Madre del Sur area of endemism obtained the highest priority, so it requires policies for effective conservation and management to ensure the maintenance and conservation of current and historical elements within the distribution patterns of species.