{"title":"Molecular phylogeny and systematic of the Schneider's skink Eumeces schneiderii (Daudin, 1802) (Squamata: Scincidae)","authors":"Hiva Faizi, Nasrullah Rastegar-Pouyani, Eskandar Rastegar-Pouyani, Mahdi Rajabizadeh, Çetin Ilgaz, Kamil Candan, Yusuf Kumlutaş","doi":"10.1111/jzs.12533","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><i>Eumeces</i> is a little-known group of skinks with few phylogenies published. Within its distribution range, five subspecies were identified for Schneider's Skink (<i>Eumeces schneiderii</i>) based on color pattern, pholidosis, intra- and inter-subspecific relationships, but the validity of these taxa has yet to be assessed using molecular markers. Here, a robust phylogeny of the <i>E. schneiderii</i> group is presented based on three molecular markers (<i>Cytb</i>, <i>16S</i> rRNA, and <i>c</i>-<i>mos</i>) from 80 samples collected across Anatolia and the Iranian Plateau. Both Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference approaches were used to infer phylogenetic relationships within this group. The results revealed monophyly of <i>E</i>. <i>schneiderii</i> subspecies and <i>Eumeces persicus</i>. These clades also differ in habitat preferences, with the small-bodied, striped forms generally inhabiting lower elevations and drier environments than the larger, uniform morph <i>E</i>. <i>schneiderii</i> subspecies. Molecular-clock dating based on <i>Cytb</i> implies that most speciation events took place during the Upper Miocene to Lower Pliocene. A strongly supported basal dichotomy of <i>Eumeces schneiderii zarudnyi</i> + <i>E</i>. <i>persicus</i> in the southern and eastern slopes of the Zagros Mountains, with the <i>E</i>. <i>schneiderii</i> subspecies in the western Zagros, was identified in all individual and concatenated trees. <i>Eumeces schneiderii zarudnyi</i> should be elevated to species level and, therefore, we propose the name <i>Eumeces zarudnyi</i> for this taxon, increasing the number of species in the genus to seven described species.</p>","PeriodicalId":54751,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0000,"publicationDate":"2021-11-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research","FirstCategoryId":"99","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jzs.12533","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Eumeces is a little-known group of skinks with few phylogenies published. Within its distribution range, five subspecies were identified for Schneider's Skink (Eumeces schneiderii) based on color pattern, pholidosis, intra- and inter-subspecific relationships, but the validity of these taxa has yet to be assessed using molecular markers. Here, a robust phylogeny of the E. schneiderii group is presented based on three molecular markers (Cytb, 16S rRNA, and c-mos) from 80 samples collected across Anatolia and the Iranian Plateau. Both Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference approaches were used to infer phylogenetic relationships within this group. The results revealed monophyly of E. schneiderii subspecies and Eumeces persicus. These clades also differ in habitat preferences, with the small-bodied, striped forms generally inhabiting lower elevations and drier environments than the larger, uniform morph E. schneiderii subspecies. Molecular-clock dating based on Cytb implies that most speciation events took place during the Upper Miocene to Lower Pliocene. A strongly supported basal dichotomy of Eumeces schneiderii zarudnyi + E. persicus in the southern and eastern slopes of the Zagros Mountains, with the E. schneiderii subspecies in the western Zagros, was identified in all individual and concatenated trees. Eumeces schneiderii zarudnyi should be elevated to species level and, therefore, we propose the name Eumeces zarudnyi for this taxon, increasing the number of species in the genus to seven described species.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research (JZSER)is a peer-reviewed, international forum for publication of high-quality research on systematic zoology and evolutionary biology. The aim of the journal is to provoke a synthesis of results from morphology, physiology, animal geography, ecology, ethology, evolutionary genetics, population genetics, developmental biology and molecular biology. Besides empirical papers, theoretical contributions and review articles are welcome. Integrative and interdisciplinary contributions are particularly preferred. Purely taxonomic and predominantly cytogenetic manuscripts will not be accepted except in rare cases, and then only at the Editor-in-Chief''s discretion. The same is true for phylogenetic studies based solely on mitochondrial marker sequences without any additional methodological approach. To encourage scientific exchange and discussions, authors are invited to send critical comments on previously published articles. Only papers in English language are accepted.