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Mitochondrial DNA sequence data support conclusions based on morphology, that Podarcis is a clade and is derived from the paraphyletic genus Lacerta, its immediate outgroups being Lacerta andreanszkyi and then the sister species L. perspicillata and L. dugesii. Within Podarcis, there are four geographically coherent clades: the Western island group-filfolensis (liHfordi, pityusensis), tiliguerta; the Balkan group-[(melisellensis, taurica) (gaigeae, milenis) and perhaps wagleriana and (erhardii, peloponnesiaca)]; the Italian group-sicula, (raffonei, muralis); and the Southwestern group(atrata, bocagei), hispanica.
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Harris et al. (1999) studied this question.
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