Daudin, F.M. (1802) - Description of Lacerta bilineata. - In: Histoire Naturel, générale et particulièredes reptiles, ouvrage faisant suite, a l’histoire naturelle, générale et particuliére composée par LECLERC DE BUFFON, et redigée par C.S. SONNINI, vol. 3 F Dufart, Paris. pp. 152-154.  Amann, T. & Rykena, S. & Joger, U. & Nettmann, H.-K. & Veith, M. (1997) - Zur artlichen Trennung von Lacerta bilineata DAUDIN, 11802 und L. viridis (LAURENTI, 1768). - Salamandra, Rheinbach, 33 (4): 255-268.  × Electrophoretic investigations of six populations of green lizards from Western, Central, and Southeastern Europe are consistent with results from hybridization experiments and confirm species status for the western green lizard, Lacerta bilineata. NE! distances of 0.16- 0.19 found between L. viridis and L. bilineata are within the range found for other sister species of lacertids. Lizards from the Greek island of Euboea differ slightly from typical viridis morphologically and electrophoretically, which is again consistent with hybridization results. The proven practicability of experimental hybridization provides support for the biological species concept. Godinho, R. & Crespo, E.G. & Ferrand, N. & Harris, D.J. (2005) - Phylogeny and evolution of the green lizards, Lacerta spp. (Squamata: Lacertidae) based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences - Amphibia-Reptilia, 26 (3): 271-285. × Partial DNA sequences from three mitochondrial (cytochrome b, 12S rRNA and 16S rRNA) and two nuclear (-fibrinogen intron 7 and C-mos) genes were used to estimate the phylogenetic relationships among all eight extant species of green lizards, Lacerta sensu stricto, and many currently recognized subspecies. All eight species form a monophyletic group. L. agilis, L. schreiberi and L. strigata are genetically well differentiated species. L. trilineata and L. pamphylica are not monophyletic units based on analyses of the -fibrinogen intron 7. Lacerta media is closely related to some Lacerta trilineata. L. bilineata and L. viridis are closely related, and recognition of L. bilineata as a distinct species makes L. viridis paraphyletic also. For both L. bilineata and L. viridis, some subspecies appear to remain in their southern glacial refugia, while a single genetic entity shows successfully postglacial expansion. The topology derived from C-mos variation is concordant with that derived from mtDNA, with substitutions occurring at a similar rate to that of transversions in the rRNA genes. Although C-mos is typically used at deeper taxonomic levels it is also phylogenetically informative within green lizards. -fibrinogen intron 7, typically used for assessing phylogenetic relationships among bird species, is a useful phylogenetic marker for reptiles also, showing considerable variation between species. There is not complete concordance between estimates of relationships derived from the mtDNA and nuclear markers, probably because rapid diversification led to incomplete lineage sorting in the green lizards. Introgression could also be occuring between some species. Marzahn, E., Mayer, W., Joger, U., Ilgaz, Ç, Jablonski, D., Kindler, C., Kumlutaş, Y., Nistri, A., Schneeweiss, N., Vamberger, M., Žagar, A. & Fritz, U. (2016) - Phylogeography of the Lacerta viridis complex: mitochondrial and nuclear markers provide taxonomic insights. - Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research, Berlin, 54 (2): 85-105. × Based on broad, nearly rangewide sampling, we reanalysed the phylogeography of the Lacerta viridis complex using the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and the intron 7 of the nuclear b-fibrinogen gene. Using the mitochondrial marker, we identified in phylogenetic analyses 10 terminal clades clustering in four deeply divergent main lineages whose relationships are weakly resolved. These lineages correspond to Lacerta bilineata, L. viridis, the previously identified Adriatic or West Balkan lineage and a newly discovered fourth lineage from the Anatolian Black Sea coast and the south-eastern Balkan Peninsula. Except for the latter lineage, there is considerable phylogeographic structuring in each lineage, with higher diversity in the south of the distribution ranges. This pattern indicates the existence of two distinct microrefugia in the Italian Peninsula and Sicily and of up to seven microrefugia in the Balkan Peninsula, but of only one refugium along the Black Sea coast of Anatolia. We identified secondary contact zones of the main lineages and of terminal clades within these lineages. However, most of the formerly described putative contact zone of L. bilineata and L. viridis turned out to be a contact zone between the Adriatic lineage and L. viridis, but L. bilineata seems to be involved only marginally. Our nuclear marker could not unambiguously resolve whether there is gene flow in contact zones. Thus, further research is necessary to decide whether the four main lineages are conspecific or whether they represent distinct biological species. We restrict the name L. v. meridionalis to the newly identified genetic lineage from Turkey and south-eastern Europe, synonymize some previously recognized taxa and suggest a tentative nomenclature for the L. viridis complex. Kehlmaier, C. & Zinenko, O. & Fritz, U. (2019) - The enigmatic Crimean green lizard (Lacerta viridis magnifica) is extinct but not valid: Mitogenomics of a 120‐year‐old museum specimen reveals historical introduction. - Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research, Berlin, 57 (4): early view. × It has been proposed that Lacerta viridis magnifica Sobolevssky, 1930 represents an extinct species or subspecies of green lizard endemic to the southern Crimea. Using NGS protocols optimized for heavily degraded DNA, we sequenced the complete mi- togenome of one of the originally formalin-preserved specimens collected in the late 19th century. A comparison with sequence data of other green lizards revealed that L. v. magnifica is a junior synonym of the northern subspecies of the western green lizard (L. b. bilineata Daudin, 1802), which occurs at least 1,500 km away, beyond the distribution ranges of other green lizards. In medieval times, a Genoese colony existed in the Crimean region where the extinct green lizards occurred. Until the early 20th century, close ties to Italy persisted, and locals of Genoese descent sent their children for education to Italy, where L. b. bilineata occurs. This suggests that the extinct Crimean green lizards have been introduced accidentally or intentionally from Italy. Our study exemplifies the value of historical formalin-preserved museum specimens for clarifying the status of questionable rare or extinct taxa.
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