Determination of genetic differences with mitochondrial genes among Lacerta trilineata populations in Turkey

The Balkan green lizard known as Lacerta trilineata Bedriaga, 1886 is widespread in a large areas including Eastern Europe, Thrace Region of Turkey and western Anatolia. It is extremely difficult to determine the subspecies' populations and distribution limits of the species living in our country by using classical morphometric methods. Molecular methods, which have been used frequently in recent years, are effective for revealing the kinship relations between populations and to determine their dispersion areas. In this study, populations in Turkey belonging to the widely distributed L. trilineata species were investigated using molecular methods. Samples of this study were obtained from both field works and from museum collections. Phylogenetic analyzes were carried out using the COI gene region for a total of 59 samples and the Cytb gene region for 157 samples. Genetic sequences of L. agilis, L. citrovitata, L. media, L. pamphylica ve L. viridis were downloaded from NCBI database to be used as outgroup for phylogenetic analysis. Furthermore, in PhyML statistical program, HKY model with gamma ratio were used for COI gene region and GTR model with gamma ratio were used for Cytb gene region. Phylogenetic trees were obtained from Beast2 sofware by using the HKY model for both the COI and Cytb gene regions with the StarBeast template. Haplotype analyzes were carried out by calculating haplotypes, haplotype frequencies and haplotype frequency percentages for the COI and Cytb genes with R version v4.1.3 program. As a result of an article published by another research team, one of the subspecies known in our country, L. trilineata diplochondrodes, was raised to the species level as Lacerta diplochondrodes while our comprehensive study at the molecular level was ongoing. Therefore, the results of our study are indicated under the name Lacerta diplochondrodes. As a result of phylogenetic analysis, it was determined that there are six subspecies of L. diplochondrodes distributed in Turkey which are in Thrace and western Anatolia. These subspecies are L. d. boluensis (ssp. nov) for Western Black Sea region, L. d. cariensis for North Aegean and South Marmara zones, L. d. diplochondrodes for South Aegean zone, L. d. dobrogica for Thrace region, L. d. galatiensis for West Anatolia limited between Ankara and Bursa, L. d. iconium (ssp. nov.) for Nothern part of the Western Taurus, respectively. The distribution areas for the four subspecies of the L. diplochondrodes have also been updated. Apart from these subspecies, L. d. boluensis (ssp. nov.) and L. d. iconium (ssp. nov.) were reported for the first time in this study. In addition, 8 haplotypes for the COI gene region and 14 haplotypes for the Cytb gene region were identified for Anatolian populations in these haplotype anaylzes. As a result of this thesis, definitions and distribution areas of populations of the L. diplochondrodes species in Anatolia and Thrace have been updated and deficiencies have been eliminated.