The Intriguing Biogeographic Pattern of the Italian Wall Lizard <i>Podarcis siculus</i> (Squamata: Lacertidae) in the Tuscan Archipelago Reveals the Existence of a New Ancient Insular Clade
The Tuscan Archipelago is one of the most ancient and ecologically heterogeneous island systems in the Mediterranean. The biodiversity of these islands was strongly shaped by the Pliocene and Pleistocene sea regressions and transgression, resulting in different waves of colonization and isolation of...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-01-01
|
| Series: | Animals |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/3/386 |
| _version_ | 1797625268071825408 |
|---|---|
| author | Francesco Gallozzi Claudia Corti Riccardo Castiglia Vasco Avramo Gabriele Senczuk Claudia Mattioni Paolo Colangelo |
| author_facet | Francesco Gallozzi Claudia Corti Riccardo Castiglia Vasco Avramo Gabriele Senczuk Claudia Mattioni Paolo Colangelo |
| author_sort | Francesco Gallozzi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Tuscan Archipelago is one of the most ancient and ecologically heterogeneous island systems in the Mediterranean. The biodiversity of these islands was strongly shaped by the Pliocene and Pleistocene sea regressions and transgression, resulting in different waves of colonization and isolation of species coming from the mainland. The Italian wall lizard, <i>Podarcis siculus</i>, is present on the following islands of the Tuscan Archipelago: Elba, Giglio, Giannutri, Capraia, Montecristo and Cerboli. The species in the area displays a relatively high morphological variability that in the past led to the description of several subspecies. In this study, both the genetic and morphological diversity of <i>P. siculus</i> of the Tuscan Archipelago were investigated. Specifically, the meristic characters and the dorsal pattern were analyzed, while the genetic relationships among these populations were explored with mtDNA and microsatellite nuclear markers to reconstruct the colonization history of the Archipelago. Our results converge in the identification of at least two different waves of colonization in the Archipelago: Elba, and the populations of Cerboli and Montecristo probably originate from historical introductions from mainland Tuscany, while those of Giglio and Capraia are surviving populations of an ancient lineage which colonized the Tuscan Archipelago during the Pliocene and which shares a common ancestry with the <i>P. siculus</i> populations of south-eastern Italy. Giannutri perhaps represents an interesting case of hybridization between the populations from mainland Tuscany and the Giglio-Capraia clade. Based on the high phenotypic and molecular distinctiveness of this ancient clade, these populations should be treated as distinct units deserving conservation and management efforts as well as further investigation to assess their taxonomic status. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:54:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8b68df3e48d744ddb8aeea82c7bd588e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:54:09Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-8b68df3e48d744ddb8aeea82c7bd588e2023-11-16T16:00:09ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152023-01-0113338610.3390/ani13030386The Intriguing Biogeographic Pattern of the Italian Wall Lizard <i>Podarcis siculus</i> (Squamata: Lacertidae) in the Tuscan Archipelago Reveals the Existence of a New Ancient Insular CladeFrancesco Gallozzi0Claudia Corti1Riccardo Castiglia2Vasco Avramo3Gabriele Senczuk4Claudia Mattioni5Paolo Colangelo6Department of Biology and Biotechnologies ‘Charles Darwin’, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Borelli 50, 00188 Rome, ItalyMuseum of Natural History ‘La Specola’, Via Romana 17, 50125 Florence, ItalyDepartment of Biology and Biotechnologies ‘Charles Darwin’, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Borelli 50, 00188 Rome, ItalyInstitute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Via Cà Fornacetta, 9, Ozzano Emilia, 40064 Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, ItalyNational Research Council, Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems, Via Salaria km 29.300, 00015 Rome, ItalyNational Research Council, Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems, Via Salaria km 29.300, 00015 Rome, ItalyThe Tuscan Archipelago is one of the most ancient and ecologically heterogeneous island systems in the Mediterranean. The biodiversity of these islands was strongly shaped by the Pliocene and Pleistocene sea regressions and transgression, resulting in different waves of colonization and isolation of species coming from the mainland. The Italian wall lizard, <i>Podarcis siculus</i>, is present on the following islands of the Tuscan Archipelago: Elba, Giglio, Giannutri, Capraia, Montecristo and Cerboli. The species in the area displays a relatively high morphological variability that in the past led to the description of several subspecies. In this study, both the genetic and morphological diversity of <i>P. siculus</i> of the Tuscan Archipelago were investigated. Specifically, the meristic characters and the dorsal pattern were analyzed, while the genetic relationships among these populations were explored with mtDNA and microsatellite nuclear markers to reconstruct the colonization history of the Archipelago. Our results converge in the identification of at least two different waves of colonization in the Archipelago: Elba, and the populations of Cerboli and Montecristo probably originate from historical introductions from mainland Tuscany, while those of Giglio and Capraia are surviving populations of an ancient lineage which colonized the Tuscan Archipelago during the Pliocene and which shares a common ancestry with the <i>P. siculus</i> populations of south-eastern Italy. Giannutri perhaps represents an interesting case of hybridization between the populations from mainland Tuscany and the Giglio-Capraia clade. Based on the high phenotypic and molecular distinctiveness of this ancient clade, these populations should be treated as distinct units deserving conservation and management efforts as well as further investigation to assess their taxonomic status.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/3/386<i>Podarcis siculus</i>insular lizardsbiogeographyMediterraneanTuscan Archipelago |
| spellingShingle | Francesco Gallozzi Claudia Corti Riccardo Castiglia Vasco Avramo Gabriele Senczuk Claudia Mattioni Paolo Colangelo The Intriguing Biogeographic Pattern of the Italian Wall Lizard <i>Podarcis siculus</i> (Squamata: Lacertidae) in the Tuscan Archipelago Reveals the Existence of a New Ancient Insular Clade Animals <i>Podarcis siculus</i> insular lizards biogeography Mediterranean Tuscan Archipelago |
| title | The Intriguing Biogeographic Pattern of the Italian Wall Lizard <i>Podarcis siculus</i> (Squamata: Lacertidae) in the Tuscan Archipelago Reveals the Existence of a New Ancient Insular Clade |
| title_full | The Intriguing Biogeographic Pattern of the Italian Wall Lizard <i>Podarcis siculus</i> (Squamata: Lacertidae) in the Tuscan Archipelago Reveals the Existence of a New Ancient Insular Clade |
| title_fullStr | The Intriguing Biogeographic Pattern of the Italian Wall Lizard <i>Podarcis siculus</i> (Squamata: Lacertidae) in the Tuscan Archipelago Reveals the Existence of a New Ancient Insular Clade |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Intriguing Biogeographic Pattern of the Italian Wall Lizard <i>Podarcis siculus</i> (Squamata: Lacertidae) in the Tuscan Archipelago Reveals the Existence of a New Ancient Insular Clade |
| title_short | The Intriguing Biogeographic Pattern of the Italian Wall Lizard <i>Podarcis siculus</i> (Squamata: Lacertidae) in the Tuscan Archipelago Reveals the Existence of a New Ancient Insular Clade |
| title_sort | intriguing biogeographic pattern of the italian wall lizard i podarcis siculus i squamata lacertidae in the tuscan archipelago reveals the existence of a new ancient insular clade |
| topic | <i>Podarcis siculus</i> insular lizards biogeography Mediterranean Tuscan Archipelago |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/3/386 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT francescogallozzi theintriguingbiogeographicpatternoftheitalianwalllizardipodarcissiculusisquamatalacertidaeinthetuscanarchipelagorevealstheexistenceofanewancientinsularclade AT claudiacorti theintriguingbiogeographicpatternoftheitalianwalllizardipodarcissiculusisquamatalacertidaeinthetuscanarchipelagorevealstheexistenceofanewancientinsularclade AT riccardocastiglia theintriguingbiogeographicpatternoftheitalianwalllizardipodarcissiculusisquamatalacertidaeinthetuscanarchipelagorevealstheexistenceofanewancientinsularclade AT vascoavramo theintriguingbiogeographicpatternoftheitalianwalllizardipodarcissiculusisquamatalacertidaeinthetuscanarchipelagorevealstheexistenceofanewancientinsularclade AT gabrielesenczuk theintriguingbiogeographicpatternoftheitalianwalllizardipodarcissiculusisquamatalacertidaeinthetuscanarchipelagorevealstheexistenceofanewancientinsularclade AT claudiamattioni theintriguingbiogeographicpatternoftheitalianwalllizardipodarcissiculusisquamatalacertidaeinthetuscanarchipelagorevealstheexistenceofanewancientinsularclade AT paolocolangelo theintriguingbiogeographicpatternoftheitalianwalllizardipodarcissiculusisquamatalacertidaeinthetuscanarchipelagorevealstheexistenceofanewancientinsularclade AT francescogallozzi intriguingbiogeographicpatternoftheitalianwalllizardipodarcissiculusisquamatalacertidaeinthetuscanarchipelagorevealstheexistenceofanewancientinsularclade AT claudiacorti intriguingbiogeographicpatternoftheitalianwalllizardipodarcissiculusisquamatalacertidaeinthetuscanarchipelagorevealstheexistenceofanewancientinsularclade AT riccardocastiglia intriguingbiogeographicpatternoftheitalianwalllizardipodarcissiculusisquamatalacertidaeinthetuscanarchipelagorevealstheexistenceofanewancientinsularclade AT vascoavramo intriguingbiogeographicpatternoftheitalianwalllizardipodarcissiculusisquamatalacertidaeinthetuscanarchipelagorevealstheexistenceofanewancientinsularclade AT gabrielesenczuk intriguingbiogeographicpatternoftheitalianwalllizardipodarcissiculusisquamatalacertidaeinthetuscanarchipelagorevealstheexistenceofanewancientinsularclade AT claudiamattioni intriguingbiogeographicpatternoftheitalianwalllizardipodarcissiculusisquamatalacertidaeinthetuscanarchipelagorevealstheexistenceofanewancientinsularclade AT paolocolangelo intriguingbiogeographicpatternoftheitalianwalllizardipodarcissiculusisquamatalacertidaeinthetuscanarchipelagorevealstheexistenceofanewancientinsularclade |