Morphological and genetic differentiation in the anguid lizard Pseudopus apodus supports the existence of an endemic subspecies in the Levant

Pseudopus pannonicus (Squamata), the largest known anguid lizard-Redescription of the type material and new specimens from the Neogene and Quaternary of Hungary and Poland

Herein, we revise the material of the extinct taxon Pseudopus pannonicus from Central Europe, the largest known anguid lizard and iconic member of herpetofaunas from the Upper Cenozoic of Europe. The geographical position of Polgárdi 2, the type locality of P. pannonicus, as well as several other closely located important localities make Central Europe a valuable area of high interest for studies regarding European Cenozoic palaeoherpetological assemblages. We clarified the nature of the type material of Pseudopus pannonicus, showing that it consisted not only of the five specimens originally figured. Instead, the syntype series also includes a considerable number of specimens from Polgárdi 2 that were only described or figured 12 years after the original description of P. pannonicus. Detailed osteological descriptions are provided for specimens from the type series and Polish specimens, with the aid of high-resolution imaging (SEM and μCT scanning), and intraspecific variability is discussed. The articular surface with the lappet of the parietal overlapping the frontal is discussed as a character potentially relevant for the diagnosis of P. pannonicus. We updated the identification of several specimens of P. pannonicus and discussed the biogeographic implications of such revisions. In Poland, P. pannonicus is an abundant component of Neogene and early Quaternary herpetofaunas, known with certainty from the Middle Miocene of Przeworno (the oldest known occurrence of the species globally), the Early-Late Pliocene of Węże I, the Late Pliocene of Rębielice Królewskie I, the Late Pliocene of Węże II, and the Early Pleistocene of Kadzielnia (one of the youngest occurrences documented globally). An indeterminate anguine with Anguis affinities is newly reported from Rębielice Królewskie II. The taxonomic status of other large anguids from the Neogene of Europe is discussed and we conclude that most are junior synonyms of P. pannonicus. We also show that another purported synonym, that is, Ophisaurus intermedius from the Early Pleistocene of Romania, is instead a nomen nudum. We conducted phylogenetic analyses (18 taxa, 65 characters) to understand the relationship of P. pannonicus relative to other anguid representatives and anguid-related group (i.e., glyptosaurids). A single most parsimonious tree (length: 134 steps) was recovered. The clade Pseudopus is stable, comprising the two distinct sister subclades [Pseudopus laurillardi + Pseudopus ahnikoviensis] and [Pseudopus pannonicus + Pseudopus apodus]. These phylogenetic results are in accordance with previously published works.

The Silk roads: phylogeography of Central Asian dice snakes (Serpentes: Natricidae) shaped by rivers in deserts and mountain valleys

Influenced by rapid changes in climate and landscape features since the Miocene, widely distributed species provide suitable models to study the environmental impact on their evolution and current genetic diversity. The dice snake Natrix tessellata, widely distributed in the Western Palearctic is one such species. We aimed to resolve a detailed phylogeography of N. tessellata with a focus on the Central Asian clade with 4 and the Anatolia clade with 3 mitochondrial lineages, trace their origin, and correlate the environmental changes that affected their distribution through time. The expected time of divergence of both clades began at 3.7 Mya in the Pliocene, reaching lineage differentiation approximately 1 million years later. The genetic diversity in both clades is rich, suggesting different ancestral areas, glacial refugia, demographic changes, and colonization routes. The Caspian lineage is the most widespread lineage in Central Asia, distributed around the Caspian Sea and reaching the foothills of the Hindu Kush Mountains in Afghanistan, and Eastern European lowlands in the west. Its distribution is limited by deserts, mountains, and cold steppe environments. Similarly, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan lineages followed the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya water systems in Central Asia, with ranges delimited by the large Kyzylkum and Karakum deserts. On the western side, there are several lineages within the Anatolia clade that converged in the central part of the peninsula with 2 being endemic to Western Asia. The distribution of both main clades was affected by expansion from their Pleistocene glacial refugia around the Caspian Sea and in the valleys of Central Asia as well as by environmental changes, mostly through aridification.

The genus Blanus (Reptilia: Blanidae) in Iraq: distribution, species identification and genetic affiliation

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Acknowledging more biodiversity without more species

Delimiting and naming biodiversity is a vital step toward wildlife conservation and research. However, species delimitation must be consistent across biota so that the limited resources available for nature protection can be spent effectively and objectively. To date, newly discovered lineages typically are either left undescribed and thus remain unprotected or are being erroneously proposed as new species despite mixed evidence for completed speciation, in turn contributing to the emerging problem of taxonomic inflation. Inspired by recent conceptual and methodological progress, we propose a standardized workflow for species delimitation that combines phylogenetic and hybrid zone analyses of genomic datasets ("genomic taxonomy"), in which phylogeographic lineages that do not freely admix are ranked as species, while those that have remained fully genetically compatible are ranked as subspecies. In both cases, we encourage their formal taxonomic naming, diagnosis, and description to promote social awareness toward biodiversity. The use of loci throughout the genome overcomes the unreliability of widely used barcoding genes when phylogeographic patterns are complex, while the evaluation of divergence and reproductive isolation unifies the long-opposed concepts of lineage species and biological species. We suggest that a shift in conservation assessments from a single level (species) toward a two-level hierarchy (species and subspecies) will lead to a more balanced perception of biodiversity in which both intraspecific and interspecific diversity are valued and more adequately protected.

A new, rare, small-ranged, and endangered mountain snake of the genus Elaphe from the Southern Levant

The genus Elaphe Fitzinger, 1833 includes 17 species of charismatic, large-sized, non-venomous, Eurasian snakes. In the Western Palearctic, the genus is represented by three species from the Elaphe quatuorlineata group ranging from the Apennine peninsula to Central Asia. The southernmost population of this group is distributed in the mountains of the Southern Levant, with more than 400 km gap to other Elaphe populations. This population has been known to science for only 50 years and is virtually unstudied due to its extreme rarity. We studied these snakes' morphological and genetic variation from the three countries where they are known to occur, i.e., Israel (Hermon, the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights), Lebanon, and Syria. We used nine mitochondrial and nuclear genes, complete mitogenome sequences, and a comprehensive morphological examination including published data, our own field observations, and museum specimens, to study its relationship to other species in the group. The three currently recognized species of the group (E. quatuorlineata, E. sauromates, E. urartica), and the Levant population, form four deeply divergent, strongly supported clades. Three of these clades correspond to the abovementioned species while the Southern Levant clade, which is genetically and morphologically distinct from all named congeners, is described here as a new species, Elaphe druzei sp. nov. The basal divergence of this group is estimated to be the Late Miocene with subsequent radiation from 5.1 to 3.9 Mya. The revealed biogeography of the E. quatuorlineata group supports the importance of the Levant as a major center of endemism and diversity of biota in Eurasia. The new species is large-sized and is one of the rarest snakes in the Western Palearctic. Because of its small mountain distribution range, in an area affected by land use and climate change, the new Elaphe urgently needs strict protection. Despite political issues, we hope this will be based on the cooperation of all countries where the new species occurs.

Phylogenomics of Anguis and Pseudopus (Squamata, Anguidae) indicates Balkan-Apennine mitochondrial capture associated with the Messinian event

A dated phylogenetic hypothesis on the evolutionary history of the extant taxa of the Western Palearctic lizards Anguis and Pseudopus is revised using genome-wide nuclear DNA and mitogenomes. We found overall concordance between nuclear and mitochondrial DNA phylogenies, with one significant exception - the Apennine A. veronensis. In mitochondrial DNA, this species forms a common clade with the earliest diverging lineage, the southern Balkan endemic A. cephallonica, while it clusters together with A. fragilis in nuclear DNA. The nuclear phylogeny conforms to the morphology, which is relatively similar between A. veronensis and A. fragilis. The most plausible explanation for the mitonuclear discordance is ancient mitochondrial capture from the Balkan ancestor of A. cephallonica to the Apennine population of the A. fragilis-veronensis ancestor. We hypothesize that this capture occurred only in a geographically restricted population. The dating of this presumed mitochondrial introgression and capture coincides with the Messinian event, when the Balkan and Apennine Peninsulas were presumably largely connected. The dated nuclear phylogenomic reconstruction estimated the divergence of A. cephallonica around 12 Mya, while the sister clade representing the A. fragilis species complex consisting of the sister species A. fragilis-A. veronensis and A. colchica-A. graeca further diversified around 7 Mya. The depth of nuclear divergence among the evolutionary lineages of Pseudopus (0.5-1.2 Mya) supports their subspecies status.

The sheltopusik (Pseudopus apodus) in southwestern Ukraine? Insights from the museum collection

We provide data on the historical record of Pseudopus apodus (Anguidae) from Odesa, Ukraine based on the specimen re-discovered in the museum collection of the National Science and Natural History Museum of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in Kyiv (NMNH) in 2021. The data show that the specimen belongs most likely to the nominotypical subspecies, P. a. apodus (Pallas, 1775). We discussed the possible origin of the record and we concluded that the specimen was introduced to Odesa most probably from its native range (Crimea or Caucasus). The uniqueness of the record and the past human-mediated interactions thus suggest an allochthonous origin rather than the historical sign of the relict population. Thus, our data clarify the situation on species distribution in the north-western Black Sea region from where we have still limited knowledge.