The lizard that hid 14 different species

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The reptile Pristurus rupestris rupestris is a small lizard that spends its days under the Sun (this is how it regulates its temperature) in the Hajar Mountains, in the Arabian Peninsula, and that communicates with movements with its tail. Until now, it was believed that this animal corresponded to a single subspecies of gecko, but scientists from the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE) of Barcelona have studied its DNA and have discovered that it is actually divided into 14 different species, some endemic to the region. This diversity had not been described until then because it is a case of cryptic species, that is, those that are morphologically very similar and cannot be differentiated with the naked eye. The discovery, which has been published in the Journal of Biogeography, represents a challenge for species conservation policies, according to Salvador Carranza, leader of the study. "Before we studied what was believed to be a common and widely distributed species, but now we know that some of the 14 diversities have a very limited distribution, so they may be at risk of extinction," says Carranza.

The IBE team has been working in the region since 2005 and had already found cryptic species, but not with such variety. "We had identified only one or two species in a subgroup," says the researcher. The Hajar mountain range is the most isolated in all of Arabia and at the same time is made up of small mountain groups separated from each other. This makes it one of the richest regions in biodiversity Europe Cell Phone Number List in the area, with numerous endemic plants and animals, including more than 18 species of reptiles. "It is an important biodiversity reserve where many of the species have interesting adaptations to extreme conditions," explains Joan Garcia-Porta, member of the research team. Copy of 'Pristurus r. rupestris'. SALVADOR CARRANZA Diversification began about 15 million years ago and accelerated during the last five million years, when mountains rose between 200 and 500 meters and separated various populations into different subgroups.



In the case of Pristurus rupestris rupestris, the study shows that diversification began approximately 15 million years ago and accelerated during the last five million years, when mountains rose between 200 and 500 meters and separated several populations into different subgroups. When they separated, these subgroups evolved independently, preserving their external appearance. "The fact that these species retain a very similar morphology is due to the fact that they share a similar habitat under extreme conditions and to which they are adapted," explains Marc Simó-Riudalbas, co-author of the study. Salvador Carranza — who in 2005, with Félix Amat, from the Herpetology Area of ​​the Granollers Museum of Natural Sciences, found a new species of amphibian, the Montseny newt — affirms that, thanks to genetic analysis techniques, new species will continue to be discovered. His team is currently studying another genus of gecko, Ptyodagtylus, which probably "hides" two different species. Carranza comments that in arid regions, where there are hardly any trees, he did not expect to find so much diversity. "But all ecosystems can hide surprises," says the researcher.