The wall lizards of the Balkan peninsula: Tackling questions at the interface of phylogenomics and population genomics

Wall lizards of the genus Podarcis (Sauria, Lacertidae) are predominant reptile group in southern Europe, including 24 recognized species. Mitochondrial DNA data have shown that, with exception P. muralis, species distributed Balkan peninsula form a that is further sub-divided into two subgroups: one “P. tauricus” consisting tauricus, milensis, gaigeae, and melisellensis, other erhardii” comprising erhardii, levendis, cretensis, peloponnesiacus. In an attempt to explore phylogenomic relationships, assess levels genetic structure re-evaluate number extant species, we employed admixture approaches on ddRADseq (double digested Restriction site Associated sequencing) genomic data. With this efficient Next Generation Sequencing approach, were able obtain large loci randomly throughout genome use them resolve previously obscure phylogenetic relationships among different Balkans. The obtained support monophyly both aforementioned subgroups revealed several divergent lineages within each subgroup, stressing need for taxonomic re-evaluation Podarcis’ trees delimitation analyses confirmed all recently (P. ionicus) showed presence at least more erhardii