Cryptic speciation patterns in Iranian rock lizards uncovered by integrative taxonomy

Area of Science:

• Herpetology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Taxonomy

Background:

• Traditional species delimitation relies on morphology, which is insufficient for cryptic species.
• Rock lizards (Darevskia) present challenges due to morphological similarities within species complexes.
• Objective and integrative approaches are needed for accurate species delimitation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To delimit cryptic species within the Darevskia chlorogaster and Darevskia defilippii complexes in northern Iran.
• To integrate genetic, morphological, and ecological data for robust species identification.
• To describe newly identified species within these rock lizard complexes.

Main Methods:

• Phylogenetic analysis using two nuclear and two mitochondrial genes.
• Morphological assessment including 15 morphometric, 16 meristic, and 4 categorical characters.
• Ecological Niche Modeling using eleven spatial environmental predictors and Bayesian species delimitation.

Main Results:

• Phylogeny confirmed monophyly of species complexes with highly divergent clades.
• Bayesian delimitation supported three species within D. chlorogaster and four within D. defilippii.
• Ecological Niche Modeling and Discriminant Analysis supported species differentiation, especially within D. defilippii.

Conclusions:

• Four new species of rock lizards are described based on integrative evidence.
• The study highlights the utility of combined data for resolving cryptic diversity.
• This research contributes to the understanding of Darevskia evolution and taxonomy.