How biodiversity is generated and maintained is a fundamental question in
ecology and evolutionary biology, and studying diversification can give us
key insights into this process. In my thesis, I investigate diversification
patterns of lineage, morphology, and climatic niche, to understand the
underlying processes that have shaped these patterns in the historical
context of the Indian subcontinent. *Hemidactylus *geckos - commonly called
‘house geckos’ - are found in a wide range of habitats and climatic zones,
and are an excellent model system to address this question. My findings
indicate that climate has been a key factor shaping the morphological
diversification in this group. Understanding the broad ancestral climatic
niche of *Hemidactylus *also provides an insight into the climatic history
of Peninsular India.