A phylogenetic assessment of the meadow lizard Darevskia praticola (Eversmann, 1834) from Iran

Darevskia is one of the largest genera within the Lacertidae family that range from the Caucasus and adjacent regions, as well as in the Balkans. In Iran, eight Darevskia species have been reported, which occupy complex habitats in high mountain rocky habitats and grasslands in the north, and the north-western part of the country. The meadow lizard Darevskia praticola (Eversmann, 1834) displays a wide distribution range from the Western Balkans and the Caucasus to the Hyrcanian forest in Iran. Based on previous studies, four subspecies have been described (D. p. praticola, D. p. pontica, D. p. hyrcanica and D. p. loriensis), but molecular evidence suggests two main phylogenetic lineages, Balkan and Caucasus. In this study we incorporated geographic records and analyzed new samples from Alborz Mountains (Gilan Province, Iran), exploring their phylogenetic affinities using two mitochondrial markers (Cyt b and ND4). For the first time, Iranian samples are included in a molecular phylogeny. Our results meet the previous suggestions regarding the presence of a nuclear mitochondrial DNA fragment (numt) in Cyt b, causing misleading phylogenetic inferences since it renders the species paraphyletic. In contrast, the ND4 genealogy groups the species into a monophyletic clade, as expected. Samples attributed to D. p. hyrcanica (Azerbaijan and Iran) and D. p. loriensis (Armenia) are settled in a single clade with minute genetic distance, suggesting synonymization.

Keywords:

Meadow lizard , Darevskia praticola , Iran , Phylogeny , mtDNA , Numt gene