Molecular biogeography of the Mediterranean lizards Podarcis Wagler, 1830 and Teira Gray, 1838 (Reptilia, Lacertidae)

Aim We discuss biogeographical hypotheses for the Mediterranean lizard spec ies Podarcis and Teira within a phylogenetic framework based on partial mit ochondrial DNA sequences. Methods We derived the most likely phylogenetic hypothesis from our data se t (597 aligned positions from the 12S rDNA and phenyl tRNA) under parsimony , distance and maximum likelihood assumptions. Results The species usually included in Teira do not form a strongly monoph yletic clade. In contrast, the monophyly of the genus Podarcis is rather we ll supported. Seven lineages are identified in the genus; in order of appea rance within the tree, these are: the Balearic pityusensis and lilfordi pai r, the sicula complex, a Tyrrhenian tiliguerta and raffonei pair, muralis, the Siculo-Maltese filfolensis and wagleriana pair, the Balkan group (erhar di, peloponnesiaca, milensis, melisellensis and taurica), and the Ibero-Mag hrebian group (bocagei, atrata, hispanica and vaucheri). Conclusions The origin of the three European genera of lacertid assayed (La certa, Teira and Podarcis) is hypothesized to have occurred in the Oligocen e. For Podarcis, a possible scenario of a Miocene diversification is derive d from the sequence data, and the zoogeography of the lineages are discusse d in relation to the palaeogeography of the Mediterranean. It is hypothesiz ed that in the early history of the genus the main lineages separated by ra pid, numerous and close events that produced a starting point very similar to a polytomy, hard to resolve by parsimony analysis of the data set.