| Lacerta kulzeri MÜLLER & WETTSTEIN, 1932 Lacerta danfordi kulzeri MÜLLER & WETTSTEIN, 1933 Lacerta laevis kulzeri EISELT & SCHMIDTLER, 1987 Phoenicolacerta kulzeri ARNOLD et al, 2007 |
Müller, L. & Wettstein, O. von (1932) - Über eine neue Lacerta-Form aus dem Libanon. - Zoologischer Anzeiger, Leipzig, 98 (7/8): 218-223.  Beyerlein, P. & Mayer, W. (1999) - Lacerta kulzeri – its phylogenetic relationships as indicated by DNA sequences. - Natura Croatica, Zagreb, 8 (3): 181-187.  × In order to resolve the relationships of Lacerta kulzeri, parts of mitochondrial genes for 12S rRNA and 16S rRNA of samples of the following species were sequenced: Gallotia stehlini (as an outgroup), Lacerta trilineata, L. cappadocica, L. fraasii, L. danfordi, L. rudis, Podarcis peloponnesiaca, as well as representatives of different populations of L. laevis and L. kulzeri. Sequence analysis clearly shows a close relation between L. laevis and L. kulzeri and no close relation of these species to any other representative of the lizards examined. The other species also show themselves to be representatives of very distinct lacertid groups. The resulting sequence differences within L. kulzeri and L. laevis, respectively, are very high in relation to those between the two species, and they are higher than one would expect for species with small areas.
Bischoff, W. & Müller, J. (1999) - Revision des levantinischen Lacerta laevis/kulzeri-Komplexes: 2. Die Petra-Eidechse Lacerta kulzeri petraea ssp.n. - Salamandra, Rheinbach, 35 (4): 243-254. × Revision of the Levantine Lacerta laevis / kulzeri complex: 2. The wall lizard of Petra, Lacerta kulzeri petraea ssp.n.
Lacerta kulzeri petraea ssp.n. is described from the ancient Petra in Jordan. The new
subspecies can be differentiated from the other representatives of the L . kulzeri complex by its relatively short skull, the lack of a masseteric shield in most individuals, and a high number of dorsals, supraciliar granules, gulars, and subdigital lamellae. The ground colouration is light showing only a faint reticulation. Next to the morphological data, notes on distribution and ecology are given. Bischoff, W. & Schmidtler, J.F. (1999) - New data on the distribution, morphology and habitat choice of the Lacerta laevis – kulzeri complex. - Natura Croatica, Zagreb, 8: 211-222. × Presently, within the lizard populations included in the Lacerta laevis-kulzeri complex, two main groups appear to be well distinguished in terms of morphology, distribution and ecology: Lacerta laevis Gray, 1838 (sensu lato) which is generally distributed in the Mediterranean region to the west of the Rift valley between Central Israel/Palestine and southern Turkey. The species prefers humid habitats in oak forests, gardens and valleys. Despite considerable morphological variation, only one subspecies (troodica from Cyprus) has been acknowledged to date. During our research in the northern mountains to the east of the rift valley (Syria/Turkey), a quite distinct rock lizard was detected living in hills with sparse vegetation; our classification of it under L. laevis s.l. is highly provisional. The second group comprises the often misunderstood rock-lizard Lacerta kulzeri Müller & Wettstein, 1932, described from Bcharré/Lebanon. It is mainly distributed in the continental mountains and hill lands to the east of the Rift valley, from the Anti-Lebanon to Petra/Jordan in the south. Morphologically different and isolated populations occur here and at the eastern side of the Lebanon Mts. and the volcanic Djebel Druz/South Syria. Near Bloudan/Anti-Lebanon and at Djebel Barouk/Lebanon Mts. both groups were found sympatrically. Bosch, H.A.J. in den & Odierna, G. & Aprea, G. & Barucca, M. & Canapa, A. & Capriglione, T. & Olmo, E. (2003) - Karyological and genetic variation in the Middle Eastern lacertid lizards Lacerta laevis and Lacerta kulzeri-complex: a case of chromosomal allopatric speciation. - Chromosome Research, Dordrecht, 11 (2): 165-178. × Karyological (standard and C, Ag-NOR and Alu-I banding methods) and mtDNA analyses (cytochrome b and 12S rRNA) were conducted on specimens from eight allopatric populations of the Lacerta kulzeri complex. Parallel analyses were performed for comparison on Lacerta laevis specimens. Karyological and molecular studies support the morphological and ethological evidence indicating the specific separation between Lacerta laevis and Lacerta kulzeri
In the Lacerta kulzeri complex, chromosomal analysis substantiated an interpopulation differentiation roughly along a north–south trend, mainly regarding the sex chromosome morphology and heterochromatin.The cytochrome b and 12S rRNA gene analyses showed minor genetic differences that were considerably smaller than those commonly found in genetically isolated populations. The L. kulzeri populations from Barouk, Druze and Hermon show a mean genetic distance that, in other saurians, characterises subspecies.
The conditions found in L. laevis and L. kulzeri are reminiscent of King`s model of chromosomal primary allopatry and support the hypothesis that in these lacertid lizards chromosome variations can become fixed before the accumulation of the genetic mutations.
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