Genus:

Apathya MÉHELY, 1907

Species (2):

Apathya cappadocica  (WERNER, 1902)

Apathya yassujica  (NILSON et al., 2003)

Species Typica:

Apathya cappadocica  (WERNER, 1902)


Taxonomic notes:

DNA analysis of the genus (KAPLI et al. 2013) led to completely unexpected results:

(1) A. cappadocica is paraphyletic in respect to A. yassujica while A. c. urmiana and A. yassujica are significantly more closely related in respect to the other subspecies of A. cappadocica. Within the latter, the ssp. schmidtlerorum were not genetically differentiated from ssp. muhtari *. Both are closely related to the nominate form, which together with A. c. wolteri represents their sister group. Furthermore, is the ssp. urmiana paraphyletic in respect to A. yassujica where the Turkish representatives are sister to all Iranian Apathya.

(2) The intraspecific distances of A. cappadocica are extremely high (higher than between clearly separated species of Podarcis !). Although no taxonomic changes are made in this publication, it is clear that the currently valid taxonomy will not uphold in this genus.

WERNER MAYER, 2015

* The originally used ssp. wolteri was corrected into muhtari (www.lacerta.de, 2019).


Relevant taxonomic literature:

  • Méhely, L. (1907) -  Zur Lösung der muralis-Frage (Vorläufige Mitteilung). -  Annales historico-naturales Musei nationalis hungarici, Budapest, 5 (1): 84-88.  

  • Arnold, E.N. & Arribas, O. & Carranza, S. (2007) -  Systematics of the Palaearctic and Oriental lizard tribe Lacertini (Squamata: Lacertidae: Lacertinae), with descriptions of eight new genera. -  Zootaxa, 1430: 1-86.    

  • Kapli, P. & Botoni, D. & Ilgaz, Ç. & Kumlutaş, Y. & Avcı, A. & Rastegar-Pouyani, N. & Fathinia, B. & Lymberakis, P. & Ahmadzadeh, F. & Poulakakis, N. (2013) -  Molecular phylogeny and historical biogeogtraphy of the Anatolian lizard Apathya (Squamata, Lacertidae). -  Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 66 (3): 992-1001.    

  • Mayer, W. (2015) -  Die Taxa der Familie Lacertidae – eine kommentierte Liste. (Zuletzt aktualisiert am 04.07.2015). -  lacerta.de. 62 pp.  

 
 
 
 

Apathya: 68  pictures (see species level)

 
 
 

Apathya cappadocica wolteri  © 2019 Mudar Salimeh