title: Evolutionary history of Podarcis tiliguerta on Corsica and Sardinia.
abstract: Podarcis tiliguerta is a wall lizard endemic to the Mediterranean islands of Corsica and Sardinia. Previous findings of high mtDNA and morphological diversity have led to the suggestion that it may represent a species complex. Here, we analysed mitochondrial and nuclear markers (mtDNA, 3110 bp; 6 nDNA loci, 3961 bp) in P. tiliguerta sampled from thirty-two localities across Corsica and Sardinia.
  
  
  
  We find much greater intraspecific genetic divergence than between sister species of other Mediterranean island Podarcis, i.e., between P. lilfordi and P. pityusensis. We detected three mtDNA clusters in Corsica (North, South-East and South-West) and either two or three in Sardinia (North vs. South) depending on the clustering method. Only one or two nDNA groups were identified within each main island (again, depending on the method). A Bayesian time-calibrated multispecies coalescent tree was obtained from mtDNA and provided statistical support for a Miocene origin of the species (13.87 Ma, 95% HPD: 18.30-10.77 Ma). The posterior mean divergence time for the Corsican and Sardinian lineages was 12.75 Ma ago (95% HPD: 16.94-9.04 Ma).
  
  
  
  The results support the evolutionary distinctiveness of Corsican and Sardinian populations and also indicate a lack of post-divergence migration despite periods of contact being possible. Further to this, species delimitation analyses of Corsican and Sardinian lineages provided statistical support for their recognition as distinct (sister) taxa. Our results provide new insights into the biogeography of the Mediterranean biodiversity hotspot, and contribute important findings relevant to the systematics and evolution of this speciose lizard genus.
authors.affiliation: Laboratori de Genètica, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Laboratori de Genètica, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Buades
authors.affiliation: School of Natural Sciences & Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Laboratori de Genètica, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Terrasa
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Zoología, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pérez-Mellado
authors.affiliation: Museo di Storia Naturale de ll'Università di Firenze, Sezione di Zoologia "La Specola", Firenze, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Corti
authors.affiliation: Conservatoire du Littoral, Bastia, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Delaugerre
authors.affiliation: Laboratori de Genètica, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.affiliation: Laboratori de Genètica, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Picornell
authors.affiliation: Laboratori de Genètica, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Palma de Mallorca, Spain. cori.ramon@uib.es.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ramon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005602:France; D014644:Genetic Variation; D007558:Italy; D008116:Lizards / Q000235:genetics*; D008521:Mediterranean Islands; D010802:Phylogeny; D058974:Phylogeography
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial
keywords: Corsica and Sardinia Islands; Lacertidae; Mitochondrial DNA; Nuclear DNA; Podarcis tiliguerta; Species tree