Cryptic diversity and unexpected evolutionary patterns in the meadow lizard, <i>Darevskia praticola</i> (Eversmann, 1834)

<p><i>Darevskia praticola</i> differs from the other species of the genus in having a large but disjunct distribution, covering the Balkan and the Caucasus regions. Furthermore, most <i>Darevskia</i> species occupy saxicolous habitats, whereas <i>D. praticola</i> inhabits meadows and forest environments. Here we determine the phylogeographic and phylogenetic relationships of <i>Darevskia praticola</i> sensu lato and evaluate the current, morphology-based taxonomy. We sequenced two mtDNA genes (Cyt-<i>b</i> and ND4) and two nuclear loci (MC1R and RELN) for samples collected across the species range. Because our sequences amplified with the Cyt-<i>b</i> primers appear to represent a nuclear pseudogene we excluded this marker from the final analysis. Our results support monophyly of <i>D. praticola</i> and show its division into three clades. The first divergence, dated to the Late Pliocene, is between the Balkans and the Caucasus. The Caucasus lineage is further subdivided in a western Greater Caucasus and a Transcaucasia clade, likely due to subsequent differentiation during the Pleistocene. Our findings do not support the current taxonomic arrangement within <i>D. praticola</i>. The main geographic divergence likely happened due to a vicariance event associated with Plio-Pleistocene climatic and vegetation oscillations.