Limited genetic variation in Lacerta mixta and its parthenogenetic daughter species: evidence from cytochrome b and ATPase 6 gene DNA sequences

Little mtDNA variation was observed among populations of the bisexual Cauca sian rock lizard Lacerta mixta and unisexual L. dahli and L. armeniaca. Thr ee haplotypes were detected in L. mixta and the maximum pairwise difference among the samples was 0.67%. No intra- and interspecific variation was fou nd among populations of either L. armeniaca or L. dahli. Moreover, both uni sexual species were identical to one of the three haplotypes of L. mixta. T he limited variation in L. mixta is likely the result of bottleneck effect, although the small sample size may also be responsible. The lack of variat ion in the unisexuals was attributed to the restricted variation among the maternal parents, limited involvement of females in the hybridization, and recent origin.