Pérez-Mellado, V. (1981) - Nuevos datos sobre la sistematica y distribucion de Podarcis bocagei (SEOANE, 1884) (Sauria, Lacertidae) en la Peninsula Iberica. - Amphibia-Reptilia, 2 (3): 259-265.  × The taconomic status of Podarcis bocagei in the Iberian Peninsula is reviewed. Since no Holotype is known, a Lectotype from the species is given. P. bocagei carbonelli ssp. n. is also described; it inhabits the western area of the Sistema Central, in particular the `Sierras` of Francia and Gata, both in Spain and the Serra da Estrela in Portugal. Finally, new localities for both subspecies are described, that together with those reported in the previous paper sum a total of 76 localities known up to date. Harris, D.J. & Sá-Sousa, P. (2001) - Species distinction and relationships of the western Iberian Podarcis lizards (Reptilia, Lacertidae) based on morphology and mitochondrial DNA sequences. - The Herpetological Journal, 11: 129-136.  × Wall lizards (Podarcis) are the dominant reptile group across most of southern Europe. Their taxonomy is complex because most species exhibit substantial intraspecific morphological polymorphisms. We have estimated the phylogeny of the particularly diverse western Iberian forms using partial cytochrome oxidase and cytochrome b mitochondrial DNA sequence data and have compared this against morphological variation. Of the two currently recognized species in the area-Podarcis hispanica and P. bocagei-neither is monophyletic, and extremely high genetic diversity between newly identified forms (up to 15% cytochrome b divergences) indicates that both are species complexes. Podarcis b. bocagei is genetically distinct from P. (b.) carbonelli which appears to be a separate species using both mtDNA and protein electrophoretic data. The insular form previously assigned to P. b. berlengensis, and sometimes argued to deserve species status is not genetically distinct from P. (b.) carbonelli using the mtDNA sequences. P. hispanica can be separated into at least four highly divergent groups, two in western Iberia, one in eastern Iberia and one in North Africa. Sá-Sousa, P. (2009) - Lagartija de Carbonell – Podarcis carbonelli - En: Enciclopedia Virtual de los Vertebrados Españoles. Salvador, A., Marco, A. (Eds.). Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid. Kaliontzopoulou, A. & Pinho, C. & Harris, D.J. & Carretero, M.A. (2011) - When cryptic diversity blurs the picture: a cautionary tale from Iberian and North African Podarcis wall lizards. - Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 103 (4): 779–800. × Evolutionary inference based on molecular phylogenetic methods has profoundly modified the way that we
understand biological diversity, unravelling a higher evolutionary diversity than previously considered. An
exemplary case of this is the group of Iberian and North African Podarcis wall lizards. More investigated than any
other reptile group in Europe, the Podarcis hispanica species complex comprises unexpectedly high levels of
phylogenetic diversity and illustrates how the discovery of further cryptic diversity may entangle evolutionary
inference. In the present study, we report on the discovery of two new mitochondrial lineages in this species
complex, reassess the phylogeny of the group, infer the age of major phylogenetic splits, and provide a detailed
description of the geographical distributions of all known mitochondrial DNA lineages. Our data show that the
differentiation of major lineages is older than previously considered, in most cases predating the Messinian salinity
crisis. The new lineages discovered and their position in the phylogeny of the group profoundly modify previous
biogeographical scenarios, clearly showing that the area today corresponding to the south-eastern corner of the
Iberian Peninsula is a very important centre of diversification. The dating obtained for the differentiation of the
lineages currently inhabiting this area coincides with the complex geological events that took place during the
Miocene/Pleistocene transition, supporting the idea that both land movements and dramatic climatic oscillations
during that period could be involved. Finally, the discovery of these new lineages, together with the observed
distribution patterns, not only further augments the uncertainty associated to our understanding of the evolutionary
history of this group of lizards, but also points to new areas of interest for future investigation. Caeiro-Dias, G. & Brelsford, A. & Crochet, P.A. & Ribeiro, M. & Pinho, C. (2018) - Differential introgression between two Iberian Podarcis lizards. - 1 p. Caeiro-Dias, G. & Luis, C. & Pinho, C. & Crochet, P.-A. & Sillero, N. & Kaliontzopoulou, A. (2018) - Lack of congruence of genetic and niche divergence in Podarcis hispanicus complex. - J Zool Syst Evol Res. 2018; 1–14. (early view) × Niche divergence among closely related lineages can be informative on the ecological and evolutionary processes involved in differentiation, particularly in the case of cryptic species complexes. Here we compared phylogenetic relationships and niche similarity between pairs of lineages included in the Podarcis hispanicus complex to examine patterns of niche divergence and its role in the organization of current diversity patterns, as allopatric, parapatric, and sympatric lineages occur in the Western Mediterranean Basin. First, we used ecological niche models to characterize the realized climatic niche of each Podarcis hispanicus complex lineage based on topographic and climatic variables, to identify important variables, and to test for niche conservatism or divergence between pairs of lineages. Variables related to precipitation generally exhibited the highest contribution to niche models, highlighting the importance of rainfall levels in shaping distributions of Podarcis wall lizards. We found that most forms have significant differences in realized climatic niches that do not follow the pattern of mitochondrial divergence. These results lend support to the hypothesis that genetic divergence across Podarcis hispanicus complex most likely occurred in allopatric conditions, mostly with significant niche divergence. Competition after secondary contact is also suggested by the common occurrence of niche overlap between lineages that exhibit strictly parapatric distribution. The almost continuous distribution of Podarcis lizards in the study area appears to be a result of a combination of complementary suitable niches and competition, which seem two important mechanisms limiting geographic distributions and restricting the existence of extensive contact zones.
|
