Forum Comments on the taxonomic value of (sub)genera within the family Lacertidae (Reptilia)

Lacertids (Reptilia, Lacertidae) are some of the most studied lizards, especially in Europe where they make up nearly three-quarters of the lizard fauna. They have been used to assess the role of biological process in phylogenetics (Arnold, 1996), in assessing correlated evolution (Bauwens et al., 1995), and in estimating colonization patterns across islands (Thorpe et al., 1994). Relationships within lacertid lizards, however, have proved highly resistant to analyses based on morphological (Arnold, 1989), immunological (Mayer and Benyr, 1994) and DNA sequence data (Harris et al., 1998, 2001; Fu, 2000). Analysis of mitochondrial sequence data infers that Gallotia Boulenger 1916 and Psammodromus Fitzinger, 1826 (Gallotiinae) form a sister group to remaining lacertids, and this relationship has been supported by analysis of sequences from the nuclear gene C-mos (Harris et al., 2001). However, relationships within the subfamily Lacertinae have been weakly supported in all analyses, leading to the suggestion that rapid cladogenesis occurred so that further data will not resolve relationships (Fu, 2000). In most situations lack of resolution within a clade has a limited effect on nomenclature, but in lacertids taxonomic dif culties arise because studies based on morphological and immunological data inferred that the genus Lacerta is paraphyletic (Arnold, 1989; Mayer and Benyr, 1994). Modern systematics attempts to re ect phylogeny, so paraphyletic genera are inappropriate. Following this principle several nomenclature changes hav