Fig. 9. Dorsal colour pattern, including lateral stripe, and head shape of Ctenophorus mirrityana sp. nov. (A), southern C. decresii (B), 
and northern C. decresii (C), males. Scale bar = 1 cm. 
of phenotypic intermediates detected at the contact zone 
in the Barossa Valley, SA. Accordingly, we consider the 
northern and southern lineages of C. decresii as potentially 
warranting recognition as separate subspecies, with the 
nominate subspecies C. decresii decresii for populations 
comprising the southern lineage, and the northern lineage 
requiring formal description. Future detailed research into 
the nature of contact between northern and southern C. 
decresii , characterising phenotypic, genetic and behavioural 
variation, is needed to fully resolve the taxonomic status of 
these lineages. 
Species within the C. decresii complex are morpho¬ 
logically similar in body form, but divergent in coloration, 
consistent with a role for coloration in sexual selection and 
mate recognition. In particular, throat colour appears to be 
an important signal in this group, likely because this region 
is displayed during social interactions (Gibbons, 1979; 
Stuart-Fox & Johnston, 2005). Sexual selection may drive 
speciation as divergence in mate preference and sexually 
selected traits (e.g., coloration) may generate reproductive 
isolation between populations (Panhuis et al ., 2001). 
Consequently, colour divergence among populations appears 
to be an important component to speciation in the C. decresii 
species complex. 
Acknowledgments. Financial support was provided by the 
Australian Research Council to DS-F and Nature Foundation 
South Australia and the Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment 
to CM. We are grateful to Mark Hutchinson, Paul Oliver, and 
Glenn Shea for insightful discussion. We thank Mark Hutchinson, 
Carolyn Kovach, and Sally South from the SAM, Ross Sadlier 
and Cecilie Beatson from the AMS, and Dianne Bray from NMV 
for assistance and access to museum material. Maik Fiedel, Tom 
McLean, Bryant Turffs, Adam Elliott, and Danial Abdul-Rahman 
provided invaluable assistance in the field, and we thank David 
and Cynthia Langford for their hospitality. Mark Hutchinson, Ross 
Sadlier and two anonymous reviewers provided helpful comments 
on an earlier version of the manuscript. Permits and ethics approval 
were as follows: UoM AEC, 1011760.1; WEC, 18/2010; ACEC, 
09/2596; DEWNR, E25861-1, 15/0231 andNPWS, SL100110. 
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