LOW SUBSTITUTION RATES IN MITOCHONDRIAL-DNA IN MEDITERRANEAN CARABID BEETLES

The estimation of DNA substitution rates requires calibration with the geological events which caused the separation of populations. We used the disintegration of the landbridges between Morocco and Gibraltar a s well as the Balearics and Spain at the end of the Messinian event (5 .3 myr) in order to calibrate the DNA sequence data of the NADH-dehydr ogenase subunit 1 (ND1) in West Mediterranean Carabus species. The rat es of molecular evolution we found are much lower than those reported in the literature and also vary from species to species. Therefore, in insects the calculation of divergence periods using a constant 2% sub stitution rate per myr is questionable.