Pre-Quaternary divergence and subsequent radiation explain longitudinal patterns of genetic and morphological variation in the striped skink, Heremites vittatus

Out of the blue: The first record of the genus Heremites Gray, 1845 (Squamata, Scincidae) from Pakistan

The genus Heremites Gray, 1845 is endemic to the Western Palearctic region, containing morphologically similar species with a not well resolved taxonomy. The genus has a broad distribution from North Africa to Central Asia, with the only known record from northeastern Afghanistan. Three species are currently recognized in the genus with one, H.septemtaeniatus (Reuss, 1834), representing populations at the eastern edge of the genus range. During extensive fieldwork, we discovered H.septemtaeniatus from northwestern Pakistan and provisionally suggest that this population could be morphologically defined as H.septemtaeniatustranscaucasicus (Chernov, 1926). This important contribution to the knowledge regarding the family Scincidae in Pakistan, however, needs further investigation using an integrative approach.

A river runs through it: tree frog genomics supports the Dead Sea Rift as a rare phylogeographical break

Phylogeographical breaks can be viewed as regional hotspots of diversity where the genetic integrity of incipient species is put to the test. We focus on an understudied species transition from the Middle East, namely the Dead Sea Rift in the Levant region, which presumably divided the tree frogs Hyla savignyi and H. felixarabica. Combining multilocus genetic analyses (mitochondrial DNA and RAD-sequencing) with ecological niche modelling, we test whether the rift effectively acts as a biogeographical barrier preventing this pair from admixing and merging. The answer is yes: despite weak signs of introgression, all parapatric populations were assigned to either species without cyto-nuclear discordance. Yet, the projected distributions under present and glacial conditions largely overlapped in the area, meaning their current parapatric ranges do not represent an ecological transition. Instead, we hypothesize that H. savignyi and H. felixarabica are maintained apart by limited opportunities for dispersal across the barren Jordan Valley, combined with advanced reproductive isolation. Therefore, the Dead Sea Rift may represent a rare phylogeographical break, and we encourage international efforts to assess its contribution to the rich biodiversity of the Middle East.