title: Molecular systematics and historical biogeography of the green lizards (Lacerta) in Greece: insights from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA.
abstract: The green lizards of the genus Lacerta (Sauria, Lacertidae) comprise nine recognized species, which in Europe are mainly restricted to the southern peninsulas. Four of them (L. trilineata, L. viridis, L. bilineata and L. agilis) occur in Greece. The uncertainty of morphological diversification renders the taxonomic assignment into species and subspecies problematic. In this study sequence data derived from two mitochondrial (cytochrome b and 16S rRNA) genes and one nuclear (NKTR) gene were used to (a) evaluate the taxonomic status of the genus Lacerta in Greece with emphasis on L. trilineata group and (b) investigate the evolutionary history of the genus through the application of phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses, using Gallotia and Timon as outgroups. The phylogenetic analyses revealed the existence of four major clades. The first clade corresponds to L. trilineata group, the second to L. media, the third to L. agilis and the fourth to a complex of L. viridis and L. bilineata. However, the produced phylogenetic relationships are not congruent with the current taxonomy, especially in the first clade in which L. trilineata appeared to be paraphyletic in regard to L. pamphylica. Six distinct lineages were inferred within L. trilineata, despite the current recognition of nine morphological subspecies, the genetic differentiation of which exceeds that of other Lacerta species, imposing a thorough taxonomic revision of the species. Our results suggested a rapid diversification of L. trilineata group during the late Miocene. We believe that the present distribution of the genus in Greece is the result of several dispersal and vicariant events that took place during the late Miocene and early Pliocene.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Athens, Panepistimioupoli Zografou, 15784 Athens, Greece. Electronic address: ksagonas@biol.uoa.gr.
authors.forename: Kostas
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sagonas
authors.affiliation: Natural History Museum of Crete, University of Crete, 71409 Iraklion, Crete, Greece; Biology Department, University of Crete, 71409 Iraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Nikos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Poulakakis
authors.affiliation: Natural History Museum of Crete, University of Crete, 71409 Iraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Petros
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lymberakis
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Taxonomy, Faculty of Biology, University of Athens, Panepistimioupoli Zografou, 15784 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Aristeidis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parmakelis
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology and Marine Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Athens, Panepistimioupoli Zografou, 15784 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Panayiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pafilis
authors.affiliation: Department of Human and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Athens, Panepistimioupoli Zografou, 15784 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Efstratios D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Valakos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics*; D045303:Cytochromes b / Q000235:genetics; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D020459:Genes, rRNA / Q000235:genetics; D006115:Greece; D008116:Lizards / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D058974:Phylogeography; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D045303:Cytochromes b
keywords: Dispersal; Divergence times; Molecular phylogeny; Phylogeography; Species complex; Vicariance