Hidden Diversity in a Narrow Valley: Description of New Endemic Palearctic Rock Lizard Darevskia (Squamata: Lacertidae) Species from Northeastern Turkey.

ABSTRACT: Darevskia is a particularly species-rich radiation of Palearctic rock lizards from the Caucasus region. Thanks to intense systematic and taxonomic research, the knowledge of species-level diversity within this genus has increased over the last quarter century. Here, we described a new species, Darevskia salihae sp. nov. from northeastern Turkey. The new taxon is differentiated from other nearby taxon by the low number of dorsal scales in the middle of the body, the shorter body length, and the absence of blue dots both on the lateral region above the forelimbs and on the margin of the ventral plates. In addition to their morphological differences, the new taxon is phylogenetically different from close groups. It is located in a separate subclade from the rudis-valentini-po

SUBMITTER: Kurnaz M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9588457 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature