Phylogenetic relationships of Podarcis siculus (Rafinesque-Schmaltz, 1810) and Podarcis tauricus (Pallas, 1814) in Turkey, based on mitochondrial DNA

The Italian wall lizard and the Balkan wall lizard have a series of taxonomic revisions. However, their phylogenetic relationships still remain uncertain in Turkey. In the present study, we have assessed taxonomic relationships, both of Podarcis siculus and Podarcis tauricus through estimation of phylogenetic relationships among 43 and 42 specimens, respectively, using mtDNA (16 S rRNA and cytb) from great main populations in Turkey. The genetic distances among the populations of P. siculus in Turkey were very low and they were ranged from 0.2 to 1.6% in 16 S rRNA while they were ranged from 0.0% to 3.3% in cytb. On the other hand, the p-distances among the populations of P. tauricus were ranged from 0.0 to 0.6% in 16 S rRNA while they were 0.2% cytb in Turkey. Finally, most of the topologically identical trees of phylogenetic analyses and p-distances showed that monophyly was found in extant populations of P. siculus and P. tauricus. The nominate subspecies, P. s. siculus and P. t. tauricus are representatives of these lizards in Turkey.