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Type: Article
Published: 2017-01-31
Page range: 75–88
Abstract views: 117
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Nuclear markers support the mitochondrial phylogeny of Vipera ursinii–renardi complex (Squamata: Viperidae) and species status for the Greek meadow viper

Department of Evolutionary Zoology & Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Department of Zoology, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynská dolina, Ilkovičova 6, 842 15 Bratislava, Slovakia
Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, 79409-3131, USA Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, 76203, USA
Goulandris Natural History Museum, 100 Othonos St., 145 62 Kifissia, Greece
Biosphere, Aidiniou 40, 172 36 Ymittos, Greece
Göteborg Natural History Museum, Box 7283, SE-402 35 Göteborg, Sweden
Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, 79409-3131, USA Museum für Naturkunde, Invalidenstr. 43, D-10115 Berlin, Germany
Reptilia Albania Balkan Peninsula endemic Greece nDNA Pindos mountains snake subspecies

Abstract

Meadow vipers (Vipera ursinii–renardi complex) are small-bodied snakes that live in either lowland grasslands or montane subalpine-alpine meadows spanning a distribution from France to western China. This complex has previously been the focus of several taxonomic studies which were based mainly on morphological, allozyme or immunological characters and did not clearly resolve the relationships between the various taxa. Recent mitochondrial DNA analyses found unexpected relationships within the complex which had taxonomical consequences for the detected lineages. The most surprising was the basal phylogenetic position of Vipera ursinii graeca, a taxon described almost 30 years ago from the mountains of Greece. We present here new analyses of three nuclear markers (BDNF, NT3, PRLR; a first for studies of meadow and steppe vipers) as well as analyses of newly obtained mitochondrial DNA sequences (CYT B, ND4).Our Bayesian analyses of nuclear sequences are concordant with previous studies of mitochondrial DNA, in that the phylogenetic position of the graeca clade is a clearly distinguished and distinct lineage separated from all other taxa in the complex. These phylogenetic results are also supported by a distinct morphology, ecology and isolated distribution of this unique taxon. Based on several data sets and an integrative species concept we recommend to elevate this taxon to species level: Vipera graeca Nilson & Andrén, 1988 stat. nov.

 

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