Mitochondrial cytochrome b and 12S rRNA gene dataset for Eremias velox

Late Cenozoic stepwise aridification has transformed Central Asia into an arid environment, and the Pleistocene climatic oscillations exerted further ecological impact. Therefore, both aridification and glaciation would have considerably influenced the evolution of many midlatitude species in arid Central Asia (ACA). However, strong biotic evidence supporting this role is still lacking. We test this perspective using a phylogeographic study of Eremias velox, which is an arid-adapted lizard, across ACA using sequences from mitochondrial cytochrome b and 12S rRNA genes. This dataset comprises the novel cyt b and 12S rRNA gene sequences for 440 specimens of E. velox.