title: Contribution to the study of Acanthodactylus (Sauria: Lacertidae) mtDNA diversity focusing on the A. boskianus species group.
abstract: The Acanthodactylus boskianus species group includes three species (A. boskianus, A. nilsoni, and A. schreiberi) of unclear phylogeny and phylogeographic history. By sequencing fragments of two mtDNA genes and performing phylogenetic, demographic, and chronophylogenetic analyses, we aimed at identifying their phylogenetic relationships while unravelling their biogeographic history. The analyses indicated that A. boskianus is a species complex, while A. s. schreiberi and A. s. ataturi show, both, low intraspecific genetic diversity. From a biogeographic point of view, the ancestor of A. s. schreiberi colonized Cyprus from the Middle East through overseas dispersal during the Pleistocene, whereas A. s. ataturi is considered to be a relict of a previously wider distribution.
authors.affiliation: Biology Department, School of Sciences and Engineering, University of Crete, Vassilika Vouton, P.O. Box 2208, GR-70013 Heraklion, Crete, Greece; Natural History Museum of Crete, School of Sciences and Engineering, University of Crete, Knossos Av., P.O. Box 2208, GR-71409, Heraklion, Crete, Greece. Electronic address: nikos.psonis@gmail.com.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Psonis
authors.affiliation: Natural History Museum of Crete, School of Sciences and Engineering, University of Crete, Knossos Av., P.O. Box 2208, GR-71409, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lymberakis
authors.affiliation: Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH), Institute of Applied and Computational Mathematics, 100, N. Plastira St., Vassilika Vouton, 70013 Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Poursanidis
authors.affiliation: Biology Department, School of Sciences and Engineering, University of Crete, Vassilika Vouton, P.O. Box 2208, GR-70013 Heraklion, Crete, Greece; Natural History Museum of Crete, School of Sciences and Engineering, University of Crete, Knossos Av., P.O. Box 2208, GR-71409, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Poulakakis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D058974:Phylogeography; D017385:Sequence Homology; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial
keywords: Chronophylogenetic analyses; Demographic analyses; Divergence times; Phylogenetic analyses; Species distribution modelling