The wall lizards of the Balkan peninsula: Tackling questions at the interface of phylogenomics and population genomics

Psonis, Nikolaos; Antoniou, Aglaia; Karameta, Emmanouela; Darriba, Diego; Stamatakis, Alexandros; Lymberakis, Petros; Poulakakis, Nikos

doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2021.107121

Cited by 7 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 73 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…peloponnesiacus group coincides with the end of the Messinian Salinity Crisis (Krijgsman et al, 1999), so their divergence can be attributed to vicariant events, in contrast to the speciation events between other lineages of the genus Podarcis , which are attributed to the interactions of regional topography, climate, and geological history events (Salvi et al, 2021). This is in full agreement with previously published studies on the Podarcis species of the Balkans (Poulakakis et al, 2005; Psonis et al, 2018, 2021; Spilani et al, 2019), identifying the isolation of Crete ( P . cretensis ) from the Peloponnese ( P .…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 93%

“…peloponnesiacus . Another very recent paper (Psonis et al, 2021), using genomic data (SNPs data through ddRADseq), revealed the splitting of P . peloponnesiacus into two clades that coincide with the east and west clade of our study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…siculus ) have also been found in Greece (Adamopoulou, 2015; Spilani et al, 2018). The species found in the Balkans (excluding the alien ones) are divided into three groups (Psonis et al, 2021). These are the P .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At present, there are no phylogenetic studies focusing on P . peloponnesiacus , but in the studies of Lymberakis et al (2008), Spilani et al (2019), and Psonis et al (2021), which used molecular phylogenetic methods, there were preliminary indications that P . peloponnesiacus was splitting into two distinct lineages.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Evidence of cryptic diversity inPodarcis peloponnesiacusand re‐evaluation of its current taxonomy; insights from genetic, morphological, and ecological data

Kiourtsoglou

Kaliontzopoulou

Poursanidis

et al. 2021

J Zool Syst Evol Res

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Peloponnese wall lizard, Podarcis peloponnesiacus, is endemic to the Peloponnese. Although the phylogeny and species diversity of the Balkan species of Podarcis have been extensively studied, the intraspecific relationships of P. peloponnesiacus are not yet well defined. The aim of this study was to investigate the intraspecific diversity in this species and clarify its taxonomic status by analyzing eight gene fragments (two mitochondrial and six nuclear) and several morphological traits, typically used for systematic inferences within the genus Podarcis. Together with ecological niche modeling, we provided an integrative evaluation of the differentiation between lineages. The combination of several phylogenetic, species delimitation, and chronophylogenetic analyses revealed the existence of two highly supported and divergent clades with a distinct geographical and parapatric distribution and high niche overlap. The differentiation of the two clades dates back to the Pleistocene and is probably correlated with the paleogeography of the Peloponnese. These clades also differed in several phenotypic traits, which, however, exhibit extensive overlap and are not fully diagnostic. The combination of the above results allowed us to identify the two revealed clades as distinct species.

show abstract

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Evidence of cryptic diversity inPodarcis peloponnesiacusand re‐evaluation of its current taxonomy; insights from genetic, morphological, and ecological data

Kiourtsoglou

Kaliontzopoulou

Poursanidis

et al. 2021

J Zool Syst Evol Res

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Wall lizards of the genus Podarcis are currently represented by 24–25 species ( Speybroeck et al 2020 ) and are a characteristic fauna of the Mediterranean Basin and its islands. Similar to many other Mediterranean animals (reviewed in Hewitt 2011a ), wall lizards commonly exhibit high regional endemism, with species typically being restricted to one of the Balkan, Iberian, and Italian Peninsulas, or one or several Mediterranean islands ( Poulakakis et al 2005 ; Psonis et al 2021 ; Salvi et al 2021 ; Yang et al 2021 ). A notable exception is the common wall lizard ( Podarcis muralis ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Population Genomics of Wall Lizards Reflects the Dynamic History of the Mediterranean Basin

Yang

Feiner

Salvi

et al. 2021

Molecular Biology and Evolution

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Mediterranean Basin has experienced extensive change in geology and climate over the past six million years. Yet, the relative importance of key geological events for the distribution and genetic structure of the Mediterranean fauna remains poorly understood. Here, we use population genomic and phylogenomic analyses to establish the evolutionary history and genetic structure of common wall lizards (Podarcis muralis). This species is particularly informative because, in contrast to other Mediterranean lizards, it is widespread across the Iberian, Italian, and Balkan peninsulas, and in extra-Mediterranean regions. We found strong support for six major lineages within P. muralis, which were largely discordant with the phylogenetic relationship of mitochondrial DNA. The most recent common ancestor of extant P. muralis was likely distributed in the Italian Peninsula, and experienced an “Out-of-Italy” expansion following the Messinian salinity crisis (∼5 Mya), resulting in the differentiation into the extant lineages on the Iberian, Italian and Balkan peninsulas. Introgression analysis revealed that both inter- and intraspecific gene flows have been pervasive throughout the evolutionary history of P. muralis. For example, the Southern Italy lineage has a hybrid origin, formed through admixture between the Central Italy lineage and an ancient lineage that was the sister to all other P. muralis. More recent genetic differentiation is associated with the onset of the Quaternary glaciations, which influenced population dynamics and genetic diversity of contemporary lineages. These results demonstrate the pervasive role of Mediterranean geology and climate for the evolutionary history and population genetic structure of extant species.

show abstract

Diversification within an oceanic Mediterranean island: Insights from a terrestrial isopod

Dimitriou

Antoniou

Alexiou

et al. 2022

Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The wall lizards of the Balkan peninsula: Tackling questions at the interface of phylogenomics and population genomics

Cited by 7 publications

References 73 publications

Evidence of cryptic diversity inPodarcis peloponnesiacusand re‐evaluation of its current taxonomy; insights from genetic, morphological, and ecological data

Evidence of cryptic diversity inPodarcis peloponnesiacusand re‐evaluation of its current taxonomy; insights from genetic, morphological, and ecological data

Population Genomics of Wall Lizards Reflects the Dynamic History of the Mediterranean Basin

Diversification within an oceanic Mediterranean island: Insights from a terrestrial isopod

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About