Reevaluation of the intraspecific variability in Darevskia parvula (Lantz & Cyren, 1913): an integrated approach using morphology, osteology and genetics (Squamata: Lacertidae)

摘要

The intraspecific variability of Darevskia parvula (which has two classical subspecies easily identifiable by external characteristics, D. p. parvula and D. p. adjarica), was studied using various approaches including morphology (scalation and biometry), multivariate analyses (PCA, CDA, ANOSIM, UPGMA and MST), osteology, and molecular techniques. High mitochondrial distance, differences at the nuclear level and morphological distinctiveness warrant the specific status of both taxa, Darevskia parvula (Lantz & Cyren, 1913) and Darevskia adjarica (Darevsky & Eiselt, 1980) stat. nov. A lectotype for D. parvula, originally described with syntypes of both species -D. parvula and D. adjarica- is designated. The uncorrected genetic distance between D. parvula and D. adjarica in the cytochrome b mitochondrial gene is 14.4% + 1.9%. Intraspecific variability within D. parvula is very small (1.5% + 0.5%), and was not detected in our samples of D. adjarica. The two species further differ by two mutations in the nuclear melano-cortin 1 receptor (mc1r) gene. Interestingly, past introgression of D. parvula mitochondrial haplotypes (5% + 1% different to those currently known) into some D. adjarica has been detected in one locality; all the studied specimens of D. adjarica with mtDNA of D. parvula are unmistakably D. adjarica at the morphological and nuclear levels.