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Mesalina austroarabica sp. nov. (Figs. 1–5; Tables 1–5, Appendices I and III) Mesalina adramitana Arnold 1980: 307 (part.); Arnold 1986a: 426 (part.); Sindaco & Jeremcenko 2008: 261 (part.); Gardner 2013: 292 (part). Mesalina ayunensis van der Kooij 2001: 20 (part.); Mesalina spec. van der Kooij 2001: 21. Mesalina guttulata Kapli et al. 2015: 6. Mesalina sp. 1 Carranza et al. 2018. Holotype. Adult male MCCI-R1611, Oman, Dhofar Governorate, Jebel Samhan at 17.1161°N, 54.7131°E WGS84 (about 16 km E of Tawi Atair), 1,321 m a.s.l., 4 January 2010, R. Sindaco, C. Grieco, A. Venchi leg. Paratypes. Two adult males and an adult female MCCI-R1624/1- 3, same locality as the holotype, 19 November 2010, R. Sindaco, C. Grieco, A. Venchi leg.; a female (ONHM4331), same locality as the holotype, 30 April 2011, S. Carranza, E. Gómez-Díaz, F. Amat leg.; a male MCCI-R1810, Jebel Samhan at 17.1597°N, 54.8069°E WGS84, 1,594 m a.s.l., 14 October 2013, S. Carranza, M. Metallinou, R. Sindaco, J. Šmíd, R. Vasconcelos leg.; a male NMP 6V- 74966/1 and a young NMP 6V- 74966/2 Jebel Samhan at 17.1494°N, 54.9757°E WGS 84, 233 m a.s.l., same date and collectors as MCCI-R1810. Other specimens examined. Adult female NMP 6 V-74951, Oman, Dhofar, Jebel al Qamar at 16.8014°N, 53.2783°E, 1,076 m a.s.l., 27 December 2012, J. Šmíd, A. Chudárková leg., plus nine specimens used only for genetic analyses (no vouchers available, juvenile or damaged specimens); all listed in Appendix I. Etymology. The species epithet “ austroarabica ” is an adjective that refers to the geographic range of its populations, distributed across southern Arabia. Diagnosis. A small-sized Mesalina characterized by the following combination of morphological characters: (1) well-developed occipital scale in contact with the interparietal (Fig. 5E); (2) lower eyelid with a window made up of two large scales edged with black (Fig. 5D); (3) curved collar (Fig. 5F); (4) four upper labials in front of the subocular (Fig. 5D); (5) ventral plates in 8 straight longitudinal rows, the outermost much smaller (almost indistinct in MCCI-R 1624) (Fig. 5B); (6) scales on the upper surface of the tibia keeled (Fig. 5A); (7) lamellae under 4th toe, 20-21; (8) dorsal coloration of adult, brown-greyish, with incomplete black-and-white ocelli (the white dots are not completely surrounded by black, but only flanked by specks on one or either sides), ordered in irregular longitudinal and transverse rows (Fig. 5A); (9) bluish tail in juvenile specimens. There are no obvious diagnostic characters separating M. austroarabica sp. nov. from M. guttulata, M. bahaeldini and from the populations from the highlands of southwestern Arabia (M. sp. A in Arnold 1986a) described below. Statistical analyses (see Results above) show significant differences from M. guttulata in having smaller SVL (males), larger %HL (males and females) and larger %HW (females). Mesalina austroarabica sp. nov. shows significant differences from M. bahaeldini in having smaller SVL (males), less dorsals at midbody (males and females), and larger %HL and %forelimb length (females). Mesalina austroarabica sp. nov. shows significant differences with the populations from the highlands of southwestern Arabia (M. sp. A in Arnold 1986a) that is described herein, in having smaller SVL (males), less enlarged plates in the collar (males), less dorsals at midbody (males), less transverse rows of ventrals (males), less femoral pores (males), larger %HW (males and females), larger %forelimb length (males), larger value of Lamellae percSVL (males and females), larger %HL (females), larger %hindlimb length (females), larger %4th toe length (females). Genetic and phylogenetic remarks. The phylogenetic analyses by Kapli et al. (2015) and the phylogenetic and nuclear network analyses performed in this study (Fig. 2; Table 1) support the hypothesis that M. austroarabica sp. nov. is a different species. The level of genetic differentiation (p -distance) between the new species versus the other members of the Mesalina guttulata species complex ranges between 3.6–6.6% in the 12S, 4.3–6.4% in the 16S and 11.7–15.7% in the cytb genes (Table 1). A network analysis of the nuclear gene MC1R indicates that, despite the large number of samples of the M. guttulata species complex included in the analysis (36 specimens; 72 alleles), all five haplotypes (22 alleles) of M. austroarabica sp. nov. are private (Fig. 3; Appendix I). Description of the holotype. An adult male, with well-developed femoral pores, and original tail. Measurements, meristic characters and indexes: SVL = 41.5 mm, HL1 = 12.8 mm (31% of SVL), HL2 = 5.6 mm (13% of SVL), HL3 = 5.1 mm (12% of SVL), Head width = 7.0 mm (17% of SVL), Head depth = 5.0 mm (12% of SVL), pileus = 11.6 mm (28% of SVL), Forelimb length = 16.4 mm (40% of SVL), Hindlimb length = 31.4 mm (76% of SVL), 4th toe length = 9.9 mm (24% of SVL), Tail length = 93.0 mm, supralabials 8/9, subocular = 5/5, gulars = 25, enlarged plates in collar = 8, midbody scales = 39, longitudinal rows of ventrals = 8+2 (smaller), transversal rows of ventrals = 28, femoral pores = 13+13, lamellae under the 4th toe = 21. Head index = 183, Toe index = 32, Lamellae percSVL = 1.14. The two translucent scales forming the window in the lower eyelid are completely bordered by black. Coloration in alcohol: numerous small incomplete ocelli, each one formed by 3 or 4 whitish scales forming a dot and surrounded left and/or right by a few black colored scales. These ocelli form 6-8 irregular longitudinal series and about 13 very irregular transverse series, between the fore- and hindlimbs; they further extend to the base of the tail and to the hindlimbs. These ocelli become small black and white dots on the neck and on small scales of the head. The pileus is creamy-grey with irregular blackish specks. On the sides of the head a discontinuous dark stripe is present from the upper border of the ear opening, across the eye, to the loreal scale. Another ill-defined dark stripe (that consists of a few blackish irregular spots) extends between the mid-ear opening and the subocular scale. Flanks with a more or less distinct latero-ventral whitish stripe and a usually indistinct dorso-lateral light stripe. The ventral side is creamy-white, immaculate, with the exception of the infralabial scales, which are irregularly dotted with small gray spots, as well as the outer ventrals and the anterior margin of thighs. Variation. Quantitative variation (mensural and meristic) in the type series (n = 9) is summarized in Tables 2– 5. In one paratype (MCC-R1624/1), an additional scale separates the supranasals, and the naso-frontal scale is fragmented on the left side. The latter anomaly is present in the paratype (MCC-R1624/2) too. Coloration in life. Ground color brownish with more or less intense shades of gray (Fig. 5G). In October- November, the lateral parts of the belly and sides of the head have a pink-orange hue. Tail grayish with cyan shades in young specimens; the young depicted by van der Kooij (2001: 21) has the distal half of the tail distinctly cyan. Distribution and habitat. The species is widely distributed across more than 1,200 km in southern Arabia; from the Jebel Samhan in Dhofar to the Yemen Mountains (Fig. 1). It is unknown if the distribution is continuous or discontinuous and restricted to mountains. The type locality is a flat area (possibly a filled sinkhole) close to an escarpment, very scarcely vegetated, surrounded by low rocky hills covered by shrubs. Specimens were active among stones at the base of hills’ slopes. Other syntopic reptiles are the newly described species of Tropiocolotes (Machado et al. 2018), Pristurus sp. 1, Pristurus carteri, Pseudotrapelus dhofarensis, Psammophis schokari (a possible predator). Notes. Sexual maturity is probably reached with SVL ≥ 30 mm, as a male with SVL= 31 mm collected in October had femoral pores that produce secretions.

Until relatively recently, many groups of terrestrial reptiles were considered to contain only few species vastly distributed across the Arabian Peninsula. This was mostly the result of the apparent morphological uniformity of these groups in combination with their geographic ranges, often overlapping with politically unstable regions in which scientific research has been hampered for centuries. However, our understanding of the diversity inhabiting these unexplored areas changed with the onset of molecular phylogenetic methods that became extensively available and routinely applied to tackle a broad set of evolutionary questions. This thesis focuses on resolving the systematics, biogeography and evolution of four selected groups of reptiles from Arabia, using an unprecedented sampling of over 1,000 tissues for genetic analyses and more than 900 voucher specimens. For some taxa, we inferred time-calibrated phylogenies, and we reconstructed their biogeographical history and their morphological evolution. For many others, we unexpectedly discovered high levels of genetic diversity and several lineages potentially representing unknown species. In the latter case, testing different species delimitation methods led to more detailed examination of the genetic, morphological and ecological data in order to resolve the taxonomy of these candidate species. As a result of that, four new species of geckos and two lacertid lizards have been formally described as part of this thesis. Essentially, most of the new species were found in the mountain regions of Arabia, stressing the importance of these poorly studied areas as recognized hotspots in terms of reptile diversity and endemicity. Fins fa relativament poc, es considerava que la majoria de grups de rèptils terrestres comprenien només unes poques espècies àmpliament distribuïdes per tota la Península Aràbiga. Aquesta percepció es devia, en gran part, a l’aparent uniformitat morfològica d’aquests grups i les seves àrees de distribució geogràfica, sovint coincidents amb regions políticament inestables on la investigació científica s’ha vist limitada durant segles. No obstant, el coneixement que teníem sobre aquestes àrees poc explorades va canviar amb l’aparició de les filogènies moleculars, aviat àmpliament disponibles i aplicades de manera rutinària per abordar un nou ventall de qüestions evolutives. Aquesta tesi doctoral es centra en resoldre la sistemàtica, la biogeografia i l’evolució de quatre grups concrets de rèptils, utilitzant un mostreig sense precedents que inclou més de 1.000 teixits analitzats genèticament i més de 900 espècimens. Per alguns tàxons, hem inferit filogènies calibrades tot reconstruint la seva història biogeogràfica i la seva evolució morfològica. Per a d’altres, hem descobert inesperadament alts nivells de diversitat genètica i diversos llinatges que podrien representar espècies desconegudes. En el darrer cas, l’ús de diferents mètodes de delimitació d’espècies va conduir a examinar més detalladament les dades genètiques, morfològiques i ecològiques per tal de resoldre la taxonomia d’aquestes espècies candidates. Com a resultat, quatre espècies de dragons i dues sargantanes de la família dels lacèrtids han estat formalment descrites en el decurs d’aquesta tesi. Donat que la majoria d’aquestes espècies habiten a diferents zones muntanyoses d’Aràbia, aquesta tesi destaca la importància d’aquestes regions com a punts calents de diversitat biològica i endemicitat pel que fa a la seva fauna reptiliana.

Xipell, Meritxell et al.-- Trabajo presentado en el XIV Congreso Luso-Español de Herpetología (CLEH2016), XVIII Congreso Español de Herpetología (Challenges of Herpetology in the XXI century), celebrado en Lleida del 5 al 8 de octubre de 2016., [EN] Arid areas encompass a large portion of Earth surface and are important for understanding global biodiversity patterns. Despite arid areas are thought to have relative low species richness compared to other biomes like for instance tropical rainforests, they are often inhabited by many specialized deep lineages of arid adapted species. While much attention has been focused on arid areas from Australia and North America, other areas of North Africa and especially Arabia have been largely neglected despite an increasing number of biogeographic and phylogenetic studies. The Arabian Peninsula comprises an area of approximately 3.2 million km 2 where arid conditions prevail and deserts have a dominant presence. Its geological and climatic history is rich and complex and includes major tectonic events, the for mation of mountain and deserts. All these geological and climatic factors have conditioned the evolution of its biota. Although arid environments are often perceived as monotonous, Arabian hosts a great diversity of organism adapted to its challenging conditions, being reptil es one of the commonest inhabitants. As a result of their ectothermy, reptiles are greatly affected by the thermal landscapes of their habitat. Moreover, they are relatively easy to catch and sample for phylogenetic studies, they are widely represented in Museum collections worldwide and, for many groups, there is abundant and detailed information on their taxonomy, ecology and distribution ranges. As a result of that, they not only constitute excellent vertebrate models for evolutionary, biogeographical and ecological studies, but also are excellent surrogates for conservation planning on arid areas. For the past 10 years we have been working on the Systematics, Biodiversity, Biogeography and evolution of Arabian reptiles, with special attention to the terrestrial reptiles of Oman, a country in which we have carried out more than 16 independent field trips since 2005, allowing us to explore its geography in depth, including most of its mountain ranges and islands. The systematic knowledge of the reptile fauna of Oman, to which our group has contributed extensively, is, by far, the most comprehensive in all Arabia Peninsula. In this talk , we will use an unprecedented database of 5359 records for all 101 species of terrestrial reptiles of Oman together with spatial tools to assess the quality of our sampling, provide detailed distribut ion maps of the species, and infer the spatial patterns of species richness and endemicity. With environmental data sets we will assess the habitat preference of each species. As a poorly assessed area for conservation priorities, we will additionally provide information to inform the conservation status and conservation threats of the reptiles of Oman, with an especial interest on the effectiveness of the protected areas to preserve this unique fauna., [ES] Las zonas áridas abarcan una gran parte de la superficie de la Tierra y son claves para entender los patrones de biodiversidad a nivel mundial. A pesar de la creencia de que las zonas áridas tienen una riqueza de especies relativamente baja en comparación con otros biomas, como por ejemplo los bosques tropicales, a menudo están habitadas por una gran cantidad de linajes profundos adaptados a las condiciones áridas. Mientras que la mayor parte de la atención se ha centrado en las zonas áridas de Australia y América del Norte, el Norte de África y en especial Arabia han sido descuidadas en gran medida a pesar de un número creciente de estudios biogeográficos y filogenéticos. La Península Arábiga comprende una superficie de aproximadamente 3,2 millones de km2, donde las condiciones áridas prevalecen y los desiertos tienen una presencia dominante. Su historia geológica y climática es rica y a su vez compleja e incluye numerosos eventos tectónicos, la formación de las montañas y desiertos. Todos estos factores geológicos y climáticos han condicionado la evolución de su biota. A pesar de que los ambientes áridos a menudo se perciben como monótonos, Arabia alberga una gran diversidad de organismos adaptados a sus condiciones extremas, siendo los reptiles uno de sus habitantes más comunes. Como resultado de su ectotermia, los reptiles se ven muy afectados por los cambios climáticos. Por otra parte, son relativamente fáciles de coger y de muestrear para estudios filogenéticos, están ampliamente representados en colecciones y, para muchos grupos, existe información abundante y detallada sobre su taxonomía, ecología y distribución. Como resultado de ello, no sólo constituyen un excelente modelo para los estudios evolutivos, biogeográficos y ecológicos de vertebrados, sino que también son un modelo excelente para la planificación de la conservación en zonas áridas. Durante los últimos 10 años hemos estado trabajando en la sistemática, biodiversidad, biogeografía y evolución de los reptiles de Arabia, con especial atención a los reptiles terrestres de Omán, un país en el que hemos llevado a cabo más de 16 expediciones desde el año 2005, lo que nos ha permitido explorar su geografía en profundidad, incluyendo la mayoría de sus cadenas montañosas e islas. El conocimiento sistemático de la fauna de reptiles de Omán, al que nuestro grupo ha contribuido en gran medida, es, sin lugar a dudas, el más completo de toda Arabia. En esta charla, vamos a utilizar una base de datos sin precedentes que incluye 5359 registros de las 101 especies de reptiles terrestres de Omán. Mediante herramientas geoespaciales vamos a evaluar la calidad de nuestros muestreos, proporcionar mapas de distribución detallados de las especies, e inferir los patrones espaciales de la riqueza de especies y endemicidad. Con los conjuntos de datos ambientales vamos a evaluar la preferencia de hábitat de cada especie. Igualmente, vamos a proporcionar información adicional para informar sobre el estado de conservación y amenazas de los reptiles de Omán y vamos a evaluar la eficacia de las áreas protegidas para preservar esta fauna tan excepcional.

Trabajo presentado en el XIV Congreso Luso-Español de Herpetología (CLEH2016), XVIII Congreso Español de Herpetología (Challenges of Herpetology in the XXI century), celebrado en Lleida del 5 al 8 de octubre de 2016., [EN] When Arabia moved northward into Eurasia 34-41 million years ago it left a small piece of Gondwanan land in what is currently the Indian Ocean. This piece of land is called the Socotra Archipelago and it happens to manifest an unprecedented amount of endemicity. Reptiles are no exception, with 29 (93.5%) of the 31 species endemic to the archipelago. In this study we focused on an endemic species of semaphore geckos (Pristurus insignis) that presents incredibly high levels of intra-specific genetic divergence (7% from 12S mtDNA), leading us to doubt its single species status. In order to deal with this uncertainty, the full island distribution of Pristurus insignis was sampled. We subsequently sequenced one mitochondrial (12S), and three nuclear (ACM4, CMOS, and MC1R) loci from 57 sampled individuals. The age calibrated multi-locus gene tree obtained using BEAST suggests within island diversification processes that gave rise to three genetic lineages that currently display a corresponding well defined geographic structure, with no obvious contact zones. However, the inferred haplotype networks clearly shows nuclear allele sharing between two of the lineages, suggesting that Pristurus insignis is, in fact, an assembly of two cryptic species., [ES] Cuando Arabia se desplazó hacia el norte hasta contactar con Eurasia hace 34-41 millones de años dejó atrás un pequeño fragmento de Gondwana en el actual Océano Índico. Este pedazo de tierra es el Archipiélago de Socotra, un conjunto de cuatro islas que poseen unos niveles de endemicidad sin precedentes. Los reptiles no son un a excepción y 28 (93.5%) de las 31 especies son endémicas del archipiélago. En este estudio nos centramos en una de las especies endémicas de gecos (Pristurus insignis) que presenta valores de divergencia genética intraespecífica más altos (más de un 7% en el gen mitocondrial 12S), cuestionando así su estatus de especie única. Para abordar esta cuestión se muestreó exhaustivamente la isla de Socotra cubriendo así la totalidad de la distribución de Pristurus insignis, secuenciando posteriormente un gen mitocondrial (12S) y tres genes nucleares (ACM4, CMOS y MC1R) de un total de 57 individuos. La edad inferida a partir del árbol filogenético calibrado obtenido con BEAST sugiere un proceso de diversificación intra-isla que ha originado tres linajes genéticos independientes que actualmente presentan una estructura geográfica bien definida sin zonas de contacto aparentes. Sin embargo, las redes de haplotipos inferidas muestran claramente que dos de los tres linajes genéticos comparten alelos nucleares, sugiriendo que Pristurus insignis está formado en realidad por dos especies aparentemente crípticas.

Trabajo presentado en el XIV Congreso Luso-Español de Herpetología (CLEH2016), XVIII Congreso Español de Herpetología (Challenges of Herpetology in the XXI century), celebrado en Lleida del 5 al 8 de octubre de 2016., [EN] The Hajar Mountains of Oman and the United Arab Emirates are the highest mountain range in Eastern Arabia. As a result of its old geological origin, geographical isolation, complex topography and local climate, they provide an important refuge for endemic and relict species of plants and animals with strong Indo-Iranian affinities. With 17 species almost exclusively restricted to this mountain region, reptiles are the vertebrate group with the highest level of endemicity and one of the main inhabitants of the Hajar Mountains. Of all the endemic reptiles, the geckos of the genus Asaccus are the ones with the highest level of endemicity and a group that clearly exemplifies the affinities between the Hajar Mountains in Arabia and the Zagros Mountains of southwest Asia Recent taxonomic studies on the Zagros populations of Asaccus have shown that this genus is much richer than it was previously thought and preliminary morphological and molecular data suggest that its diversity in Arabia may also be underestimated. In this talk we will present the results of an integrative analysis of the geckos of the genus Asaccus from the Hajar Mountains using molecular, morphological and ecological data. The study included specimens originally classified as Asaccus caudivolvulus and Asaccus gallagheri and five other Asaccus species from the Hajar and the Zagros Mountains. All of them were sequenced for up to 2311 base pairs including 2 mitochondrial and 3 nuclear genes. Phylogenetic relationships were inferred using both Bayesian and maximum-likelihood approaches and the former method was also used to calibrate the phylogenetic tree. Haplotype networks were inferred from the phased nuclear genes only. All adult specimens originally classified as A. caudivolvulus and A. gallagheri were examined for 13 morphometric and the 5 meristic variables using multivariate methods and where also used to diagnose and describe the new species. The results of the analyses of the molecular and morphological data, together with a comparison with all the other species of the genus Asaccus, indicate that what was originally considered A. caudivolvulus and A. gallagheri are, in fact, an assemblage of at least five different species that started diversifying during the Mid-Miocene, one of them restricted to a small coastal area of the United Arab Emirates and at risk from heavy development. The molecular phylogenies consistently recovered the Hajar endemic A. montanus as sister taxon to all the other Asaccus species included in the analyses, rendering the Arabian species of Asaccus polyphyletic. Similarly to other integrative analyses of Hajar reptiles, this study highlights the high level of diversity and endemicity of this arid mountain range, underscoring its status as one of the top hotspots of reptile diversity in Arabia., [ES] Las Montañas de Hajar en Omán y Emiratos Árabes Unidos (UAE) constituyen la cordillera más alta del Este de Arabia. Como resultado de su remoto origen geológico, el aislamiento geográfico, compleja topografía y clima, proporcionan un importante refugio para muchas especies de plantas y animales con fuertes afinidades indo-iraníes. Con 17 especies casi exclusivamente restringidas a este macizo montañoso, los reptiles son el grupo de vertebrados con el mayor grado de endemicidad y uno de los habitantes principales de estas Montañas. De todos los reptiles endémicos, los gecos nocturnos del género Asaccus son los que presentan el mayor número de especies endémicas y uno de los grupos que ejemplifican la relación existente entre las Montañas de Hajar y las Zagros del sureste de Asia. Recientes estudios taxonómicos sobre las poblaciones de Asaccus de los Zagros han demostrado que es un género mucho más rico de lo que se pensaba anteriormente y los datos morfológicos y moleculares preliminares sugieren que su diversidad en Arabia puede haber sido también subestimada. En esta charla presentaremos los resultados de un análisis integrativo de los gecos del género Asaccus de las Montañas de Hajar utilizando datos moleculares, morfológicos y ecológicos. El estudio incluye muestras clasificadas originalmente como Asaccus caudivolvulus y Asaccus gallagheri y otras cinco especies de Asaccus presentes en las Montañas de Hajar y Zagros. Todos los especímenes fueron secuenciadas para 2311 pares de bases, incluyendo 2 genes mitocondriales y 3 nucleares. Las relaciones filogenéticas fueron inferidas utilizando análisis de máxima verosimilitud y bayesiano, este último también utilizado para calibrar el árbol filogenético. Igualmente también se infirieron redes de haplotipos de los genes nucleares. Especímenes originalmente clasificados como A. caudivolvulus y A. gallagheri fueron examinados para 13 variables morfométricas y 5 variables merísticas utilizando métodos multivariantes, además de ser utilizados para diagnosticar y describir las nuevas especies. Los resultados de estos análisis, junto con una comparación exhaustiva con todas las otras especies del género Asaccus, indican que lo que se consideraba originalmente A. caudivolvulus y A. gallagheri son un conjunto de un mínimo de cinco especies diferentes que diversificaron durante el Mioceno Medio. Además, una de ellas está actualmente restringida a una pequeña zona costera de UAE bajo fuerte desarrollo humano. Finalmente, las filogenias moleculares recuperadas sitúan el taxón endémico de las Montañas de Hajar A. montanus como grupo hermano de todas las otras especies del género incluidas en el análisis, lo que hace que las especies de Asaccus presentes en Arabia formen un grupo polifilético. Al igual que otros estudios integrativos de los reptiles de las Montañas de Hajar, este estudio destaca el elevado nivel de diversidad y endemicidad de este macizo montañoso, subrayando su papel como uno de los puntos calientes de diversidad de Arabia.

Trabajo presentado en el III Iberian Congress of Biological Systematics (CISA 2015), celebrado en Vitoria-Gasteiz el 17 y 18 de diciembre de 2015., Unknown cryptic species can be a significant cause of underestimation of local and regional biodiversity. This applies to inter-tropical regions, but may also be the case in arid lands, where mountain ranges often are important centers of diversification. Through fine-scale sampling, molecular genetic and morphological techniques we have uncovered an extraordinary example of an old radiation in a cryptic vertebrate inhabiting one of the most arid and isolated mountain ranges in Arabia. Our molecular methods reveal 14 candidate species hidden within the subspecies Pristurus r. rupestris , a very abundant saxicolous gecko inhabiting the Hajar Mountains of Northern Oman and United Arab Emirates. Diversification started 15 Ma, but much of the speciation has occurred in the last 7 Ma of the mountains’ orogeny, producing a mosaic of parapatric and allopatric taxa. Diversification dynamics suggest speciation is still ongoing and proceeding from south to north. Secondary interchange has occurred between high and low elevation lineages, and between unrelated lineages formerly separated by mountain blocks. Morphological variation between the 14 candidate species is slight, but a robust high elevation morphotype is identified. We outline the ecological conditions under which this and other cryptic radiations may have occurred in the mountains of southern Arabia.

Trabajo presentado en el III Iberian Congress of Biological Systematics (CISA 2015), celebrado en Vitoria-Gasteiz el 17 y 18 de diciembre de 2015., Mesalina is a widespread lacertid lizard genus that inhabits arid areas from North Africa to Pakistan. With around 13 species, many of them exhibit high genetic diversity and complex phylogenetic and biogeographic patterns. The taxonomic history of Mesalina is troubled, given the confusing morphological differentiation together with the geographical overlap between many species and the lack of samples for both morphological and molecular studies. Previous phylogenetic studies of this genus show that M. guttulata represents a species complex but the phylogenetic position of some populations from the Arabian Peninsula remains unknown. In this talk we will show an updated multilocus time-calibrated phylogeny of the genus Mesalina with especial emphasis on the Arabian species with the aim of revising their systematics and biogeography. In order to achieve our goal, we have include an unprecedented sampling with 13 representatives of the 14 described species of Mesalina collected across more than 12 million square km. Besides the sampling effort, the sequencing effort is equally important with more than 400 new sequences produced including three mitochondrial ( 12S, 16S and cytb ) and one nuclear gene ( mc1r). The recovered phylogeny is very robust and shows that the genus started diversifying 22 Ma ago in Eurasia, dispersing from Arabia to Africa and vice versa several times giving rise to the current species diversity. Within Arabia, we extend the distribution ranges of several species and identify three deep lineages, two from mountain regions in SW Arabia and South Oman and one widespread across central Arabia that correspond to three new species of Mesalina according to molecular and morphological data. Finally, a specific study adding sequences of three more nuclear genes ( acm4, cmos and and rag1 ) of several Arabian species clearly show that the Socotra Archipelago was colonized by a single long range transmarine dispersal by the ancestor of M. ayunensis and the two Socotran species M. kuri and M. balfouri. The two Socotran endemics originated approximately 5 Ma by an intra archipelago colonization event from Socotra Island to Abd al Kuri or vice versa.

Trabajo presentado en las XV Jornades Herpetològiques Catalanes, celebradas en Sant Feliu de Codines del 10 al 12 de octubre de 2012., In this talk I will present the work that we have being carrying out over the past 10 years on the systematics, biogeography, evolution and conservation of the reptiles of Oman, highlighting the results of the two field trips (spring and autumn) that took place in 2013. Oman presents interesting geological features, climate and diversity of landscapes that have been some of the key factors that have made Oman one of the most relevant biodiversity hotspots in the Arabian Peninsula, hosting 94 reptile species, 15 of which endemic to the country.

Trabajo presentado en las XV Jornades Herpetològiques Catalanes, celebradas en Sant Feliu de Codines del 10 al 12 de octubre de 2012., A decade ago, DNA barcoding was proposed as a fast, cost-efficient and simple taxonomic method based on the use of a unique, short and standardized gene region for identifying existing species and speeding the discovery of new ones. However, due to technical problems, few DNA barcoding studies in squamate reptiles have been conducted so far. In this work, using three sets of primers, we successfully DNA barcoded 380 individuals of all presently recognized species of reptiles in the Socotra Archipelago (31 species, 12 genera), classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Although no barcoding gap exists in the whole dataset, specimen identification success rate of DNA barcoding is moderate to high (68-94%) based on distance-based and tree-based techniques. The low levels of inter-specific genetic divergence observed between some species are consistent with paraphyly of Pristurus sokotranus. On the other hand, the high levels of intra-specific variability found within some species suggest cryptic diversity. Depending on the species delimitation approaches, between 4 and 37 more species than those presently recognized should be taken into account for future conservation efforts. Through this study we conclude that DNA barcoding is very useful for specimen identification, but for species discovery and description it will only be effective if incorporated into a more integrative taxonomic framework.

Trabajo presentado en el XIII Iberian Congress of Herpetology (XIII Congresso Luso-Espanhol de Herpetologia, XIII Congreso Luso-Español de Herpetología), celebrado en Aveiro (Portugal) del 30 de septiembre al 4 de octubre de 2014., [EN] DNA barcoding is based on the idea of using a short genetic sequence from a standard marker (cytochrome c oxidase 1 gene, COI) for species identification. It has the advantage of facilitating species identification and accelerating discovery of candidate/cryptic species in a largely reliably and cost‐efficient way, with many implications in conservation and management. However, it presents some technical problems in amplification, especially with reptiles; and methodological problems, such as difficulty in threshold delimitation for barcode gaps and minimum number of sequences per species, scale‐dependency, and limitations in phylogenetic inference. Recent barcoding campaigns of reptiles have been successful and so we urged to apply it to Socotra due to the significance of this region, classified as Natural World Heritage, and the conservation interest of their unique reptile fauna, presently with 29 endemic species. After several campaigns of extensive sampling in the archipelago with stations each 10 x 10 km, more than 1300 tissues were collected. We have successfully sequenced, using three sets of primers, 380 individuals of all presently recognised species with a best match success of 99%, and with all species barcode success of about 72% of specimen identification. We detected one case of paraphyly and also high levels of instraspecific genetic variability, sometimes higher than values of interspecific genetic variability. The result of GMYC species delimitation analysis at different levels, as well as a barcode gap analysis using different thresholds, unveiled relatively high levels of cryptic diversity, suggesting that between 4 and 37 more entities than those presently recognised should be taken into account for conservation planning. Published and preliminary results using both mitochondrial and nuclear markers and the high levels of genetic variability in COI detected in this study, especially within Hemidactylus and Pristurus, including one case of paraphyly, suggest that the taxonomy of some Socotra reptiles should be revised using an integrative approach combining molecular and morphological data., [PT] O barcoding de ADN é baseado na ideia de usar uma sequência genética curta de um marcador padrão (gene citocromo c oxidase 1, COI) para a identificação de espécies. Tem a vantagem de facilitar a identificação das espécies e acelerar a descoberta de espécies candidatas/ crípticas de uma forma bastante fiável e economicamente eficiente, com várias implicações na conservação e gestão. No entanto, apresenta alguns problemas técnicos na amplificação, especialmente de répteis; e problemas metodológicos, como a dificuldade na delimitação dos limiares do intervalo do barcode e do número mínimo de sequências de cada espécie, a dependência da escala e limitações nas inferências filogenéticas. Campanhas recentes de barcoding de répteis foram bem‐sucedidas e por isso apressámo‐nos para aplicá‐lo em Socotra, devido à importância desta região, classificada como Património Mundial Natural, e a importância da conservação da sua herpetofauna única, actualmente com 29 espécies endémicas. Depois de várias campanhas de amostragem intensas no arquipélago, com estações a cada 10 x 10 km, mais de 1300 tecidos foram recolhidos. Sequenciámos com sucesso, utilizandose três conjuntos de primers, 380 indivíduos de todas as espécies actualmente reconhecidas, com um sucesso óptimo de reconhecimento de 99%, e com um sucesso de barcoding de todas as espécies de cerca de 72% na identificação dos espécimes. Detectámos um caso de parafilia e também elevados níveis de variabilidade genética intra‐específica, por vezes maiores que os valores de variabilidade genética interespecífica. O resultado da análise de delimitação de espécies GMYC a diferentes níveis, bem como a análise de intervalos de barcoding usando diferentes limiares, revelou níveis relativamente altos de diversidade críptica, sugerindo que devem ser tidos em conta para a gestão da conservação entre mais 4 a 37 entidades do que aquelas que são actualmente reconhecidas. Os resultados previamente publicados e preliminares, utilizando dois marcadores mitocondriais e nucleares, e os altos níveis de variabilidade genética em COI detectados neste estudo, especialmente dentro de Hemidactylus e Pristurus, incluindo um caso de parafilia, sugerem que a taxonomia de alguns répteis de Socotra deveria ser revista através de uma aproximação integrativa combinando dados moleculares e morfológicos.

Trabajo presentado en las XV Jornades Herpetològiques Catalanes, celebradas en Sant Feliu de Codines del 10 al 12 de octubre de 2012., The Ptyodactylus geckos are a strictly rock-dwelling genus with homogeneous morphology. Its distribution range includes large parts across western African to the eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. Recently, an extensive molecular phylogeny with two mitochondrial (12S and cytb) and four nuclear markers (c-mos, MC1R, ACM4, RAG2) has revealed high levels of genetic variability within some taxa, indicative of undescribed diversity. One of the most interesting cases is the P. hasselquistii species complex, including among others, populations from North Oman and the eastern United Arab Emirates, main focus of the present study. An extensive sampling of these areas has allowed us to define their distribution, analyze the phylogeographic patterns and intraspecific diversity and, finally, place their diversification in a temporal framework. Our analyses indicate that there is a new species from the Ruus al Jibal area, at the northeastern-most tip of the Arabian Peninsula, morphologically very similar to populations from northern Oman (described as P. orlovi from one locality, Nazarov et. al. 2013). The onset of their diversification is estimated to have occurred during the Late Miocene, a period when an increase in aridification in North Africa and Arabia initiated.