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Type: Article
Published: 2023-11-10
Page range: 336-368
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Taxonomic diversity of racerunners with descriptions of two new Eremias species (Sauria: Lacertidae) from Central Iran

Zoological Museum of Moscow State University; 125009; B. Nikitskaya 2; Moscow; Russia; Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Universitetskaya nab. 1; St. Petersburg; 199034; Russia; Laboratory of Comparative Ethology and Biocommunication; Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution; Russian Academy of Sciences.; 119071 Leninsky Prospect 33; Moscow; Russia
Faculty of Sciences; Hakim Sabzevari University; Sabzevar; Iran
Department of Biodiversity; Institute of Science and High Technology and Environmental Sciences; Graduate University of Advanced Technology; Kerman; Iran
Department of Biology; Faculty of sciences; University of Qom; Qom; Iran
Faculty of Biology; Lomonosov Moscow State University; Moscow 119991; Russia
Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Universitetskaya nab. 1; St. Petersburg; 199034; Russia
Zoological Museum of Moscow State University; 125009; B. Nikitskaya 2; Moscow; Russia; Laboratory of Comparative Ethology and Biocommunication; Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution; Russian Academy of Sciences.; 119071 Leninsky Prospect 33; Moscow; Russia
Reptilia cryptic diversity Eremias Iranian Plateau taxonomy cytochrome oxidase I DNA Barcoding

Abstract

We provide a diversity assessment of Iranian species of the genus Eremias based on the cytochrome oxidase I mtDNA gene fragment. We analyzed 93 genetic samples from the entire distribution of the Eremias fasciata species complex in Iran and surrounding regions, along with morphological data to support the description of two new species from Central Iran. We hypothesize that the diversification of the Eremias fasciata species complex was largely influenced by the fragmentation of sand massifs in the region. This same hypothesis has been used to explain the high level of endemism among the sand-dwelling species of reptiles along the Iranian Plateau in the same area. The two new species described herein can be distinguished from other congeneric species by their phylogenetic position and a combination of morphological characters. We use these data to discuss the taxonomy of Eremias based on morphology, habitat choice, and genetic data.

 

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