Taxonomic investigation of the genus Ablepharus (Sauria; Scincidae) with molecular and morphological methods in Anatolian populations

Abstract

Ablepharus Lichtenstein, 1823, which includes ten species, is distributed in eastern Europe and Asia. Four species arerecorded in Turkey: A. kitaibelii, A. chernovi, A. bivittatus, and A. budaki. After molecular and morphological studies in Anatolia, thephylogenetic relationship of the genus is still very complicated. Here, we investigate the taxonomic status of Ablepharus in Anatolia usingmorphological and molecular methods. The genetic structure of Ablepharus populations in Anatolia was analyzed using both the nuclear(CMOS) and mitochondrial (cyt b and COI) gene regions. The maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods were applied forphylogenetic tree reconstruction, together with calculation of p-distances and reconstruction of haplotype networks. The morphologicalanalysis was evaluated with SPSS by using 12 metric and 17 meristic characteristics. In total, 41 specimens and 279 specimens were usedfor the molecular and morphological analysis, respectively. A. bivittatus has highly different genetic and morphological characteristicscompared to the others, and it shares similar morphological characteristics with the genus Asymblepharus, which are elliptical tympanum,hidden upper eye opening under 3 or 4 large shields, light and dark longitudinal stripes on the back, adpressed hind-limbs reaching toknees, and well-developed limbs with five toes. For this reason, A. bivittatus was placed in the genus Asymblepharus as Asymblepharusbivittatus comb. nov. A. budaki anatolicus was elevated to species level as A. anatolicus based on morphological and genetic data. In thisstudy, Anatolian A. kitaibelii comprised two sister subclades, A. kitaibelii kitaibelii and A. kitaibelii stepaneki, and this research is the firstrecord of A. kitaibelii stepaneki in Turkey. A. chernovi was divided into three subclades: A. chernovi chernovi, A. chernovi eiselti, and A.chernovi isaurensis.