Brown, RP, Perez-Mellado, V and Ramon, MM (2017) The legacy of translocations among populations of the Ibizan Wall Lizard, Podarcis pityusensis (Squamata: Lacertidae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 121 (1). pp. 82-94. ISSN 0024-4066

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Abstract

The Ibizan wall lizard, Podarcis pityusensis, was the subject of several documented 25 translocations by the German herpetologist Martin Eisentraut, in 1930. He aimed to initiate 26 long-term experiments into the evolution of melanism and other morphological traits and 27 accordingly reported introductions into five islets that (he believed) contained no lizards. In 28 this study, we analysed the genetics and morphological characteristics of individuals we found 29 there. We found no lizards on two of the islets, namely Escull de Tramuntana or Galera, but 30 for the first time, detected a large population on a third, Es Vaixell. Analyses of microsatellite 31 DNA placed individuals from a fourth islet, Dau Gran, with those from the islet of Escull 32 Vermell. They are also morphologically close to individuals from Escull Vermell. This 33 suggests that selection pressures could have favoured the Escull Vermell phenotype following 34 introduction. Eisentraut founded the Es Vaixell population with non- melanic Ibizan 35 specimens, but the present day population of Es Vaixell was found to be fully melanic. Genetic 36 markers support a strong similarity between Es Vaixell and Na Gorra, and indicate that, in all 37 likelihood, the individuals introduced by Eisentraut have left no descendants. It is likely that 38 Es Vaixell already contained lizards prior to this introduction. For reasons which we discuss, 39 the translocations have revealed less than Eisentraut would have originally hoped for, although 40 they do provide some potential insights into lizard morphological evolution following 41 colonization.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Valentín Pérez-Mellado, Ana Pérez-Cembranos, Virginia Rodríguez, Joana M. Buades, Richard P. Brown, Wolfgang Böhme, Bàrbara Terrasa, José A. Castro, Antònia Picornell, Cori Ramon; The legacy of translocations among populations of the Ibizan Wall Lizard, Podarcis pityusensis (Squamata: Lacertidae). Biol J Linn Soc 2017; 121 (1): 82-94. doi: 10.1093/biolinnean/blw026
Uncontrolled Keywords:	06 Biological Sciences
Subjects:	Q Science > QH Natural history
Divisions:	Natural Sciences & Psychology (closed 31 Aug 19)
Publisher:	The Linnean Society of London. Wiley
Date Deposited:	17 Nov 2016 09:35
Last Modified:	30 Mar 2022 08:16
DOI or ID number:	10.1093/biolinnean/blw026
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/4818

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