FIGURE 12 in A molecular phylogenetic hypothesis for the Asian agamid lizard genus Phrynocephalus reveals discrete biogeographic clades implicated by plate tectonics

FIGURE 12. Tectonic setting for the formation of mountain belts in central and Southwest Asia at 10 MYBP, Late Miocene. The map is after Dercourte et al. (1986) and uplifting in the Pamir and Karakoram mountains is schematic after Tapponier et al. (1981). Tectonic processes depicted here continue today. During the late Miocene (10 MYBP, Tortonian), India wedged deeply into Eurasia, and Arabia began indentation into Iran (composed of Cimmerian Plates). The Pamir Mountains were experiencing intense uplifting during the Late Miocene (10 MYBP). The indentation of Arabia into Iran in the Late Miocene (10 MYBP) began the formation of the Zagros Mountains in the southern part of the Iranian Plateau. In the northern part of the Iranian Plateau, the Lesser Caucasus Mountains and Kopet-Dagh began uplifting in the early Pliocene (5 MYBP). Plates are labeled in capital letters and ancient Gondwanan Plates (Cimmerian Plates) are Iran (Lut), Farah, and Helmand. Note that the indentations of both India and Arabia are compressing the Cimmerian Plates and causing intense mountain building along paleo-sutures of these plates.