engleski

Molecular phylogeny of the snake‐eyed skink (Ablepharus kitaibelii) on the central and north part of its distribution range

The Snake‐eyed Skink is a small thermophilous lizard. It is distributed from Slovakia, towards south of Europe all the way to Turkey. In Croatia, this species has been recently recorded in the Papuk Mountain and in the city of Ilok, forming its western distribution border. Up to now, mitochondrial molecular markers (16S rRNA and cytochrome b) have been used to assess the phylogeny of the Snake‐eyed Skink populations in the southern part of its distribution range. It was concluded that the species does not form a monophyletic group ; rather it is a complex of several species. The aim of our research was to examine populations from the remaining parts of distribution range in Europe, using mitochondrial markers. Obtained haplotypes from a Romanian population, form a new distinct lineage on the phylogenetic tree. However, extremely low genetic variability was observed in Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Macedonia, where only a single haplotype was detected on each particular mitochondrial marker. The same haplotypes were reported for the Central Greece. This result indicates a rapid range expansion, from ancestral population most probably situated in Greece. Being a thermophilous species, we suppose that the Snake‐eyed Skink’s expansion happened in the warmest periods during the Holocene, corresponding to the Atlantic period (8000‐5000 years BP).

thermophilous lizard species; Balkan Peninsula; Pleistocene refugium; rapid range expansion; Holocene

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