Mitochondrial DNA, allozymes, morphology and historical biogeography in the Podarcis vaucheri (Lacertidae) species complex

Mitochondrial DNA analysis indicates that Podarcis vaucheri is a species complex with one clade inhabiting both north and south shores of the Strait of Gibraltar and one clade restricted to North Africa. While each clade exhibits differing morphology, allozyme analysis suggests varying degrees of reproductive contact among populations within clades. Ancestral P. vaucheri appears to have been restricted to insular areas of the Betic-Rif Massif and mainland Africa during Miocene, with major lineage differentiation occurring during Pliocene.Our analysis further confirms that Podarcis atrata warrants species status and suggests that it may be more widely distributed than previously reported.