The genetic identity of the only Italian population of the genus Macroprotodon Guichenot, 1850 on the island of Lampedusa, Sicily

Vertebrate Zoology

article

Francesco Paolo Faraone¹  Raffaella Melfi²  Matteo Riccardo Di Nicola³  Gabriele Giacalone⁴  Mario Lo Valvo⁵ 

[1] Viale Regione Siciliana S.E.;Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, University of Palermo;Via Bobbio;Cooperativa Silene;Dipartimento Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, University of Palermo

关键词: Italy;    Lampedusa;    Macroprotodon;    mtDNA;    phylogeny;   

DOI  :  10.26049/VZ70-2-2020-09

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Pensoft

【 摘 要 】

The only Italian population of false smooth snakes is found on Lampedusa, a small island located in the Sicilian Channel and part of the African continental shelf. The taxonomic identity of this population is currently uncertain, although it is most often attributed to Macroprotodon cucullatus textilis on a morphological basis. We present here the first genetic data on this population. The analysis carried out on the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene shows that the Lampedusan false smooth snake belongs to a clade shared with a single sample from central Tunisia. The genetic distance between this lineage and its sister group (M. abubakeri) is comparable to or higher than that found among many reptile species. To define the identity of this distinctive lineage, as well as the Macroprotodon taxonomic structure, further sampling efforts within the undersampled distribution area of this genus and more extensive analyses will be necessary.

【 授权许可】

CC BY