Sex Chromosome Turnover in Bent-Toed Geckos ( Cyrtodactylus )

Lizards and snakes (squamates) are known for their varied sex determining systems, and gecko lizards are especially diverse, having evolved sex chromosomes independently multiple times. While sex chromosomes frequently turnover among gecko genera, intrageneric turnovers are known only from and . Here, we used RADseq to identify sex-specific markers in two species of Burmese bent-toed geckos. We uncovered XX/XY sex chromosomes in and ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes in . This is the third instance of intrageneric turnover of sex chromosomes in geckos. Additionally, are closely related to another genus with intrageneric turnover, . Together, these data suggest that sex chromosome turnover may be common in this clade, setting them apart as exceptionally diverse in a group already known for diverse sex determination systems.