Contact zone of slow worms Anguis fragilis Linnaeus, 1758 and Anguis colchica (Nordmann, 1840) in Poland
The result's identifiers
Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F67985904%3A_____%2F25%3A00635713" target="_blank" >RIV/67985904:_____/25:00635713 - isvavai.cz</a>
Result on the web
<a href="https://peerj.com/articles/18563/" target="_blank" >https://peerj.com/articles/18563/</a>
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18563" target="_blank" >10.7717/peerj.18563</a>
Alternative languages
Result language
angličtina
Original language name
Contact zone of slow worms Anguis fragilis Linnaeus, 1758 and Anguis colchica (Nordmann, 1840) in Poland
Original language description
Background. Legless lizards, the slow worms of the genus Anguis, are forming secondary contact zones within their Europe-wide distribution.nnMethods. We examined 35 populations of A. fragilis and A. colchica to identify the level of morphological and genetic divergence in Poland. We applied a conventional study approach using metric, meristic, and categorial (coloration) features for a phenotype analysis, and two standard molecular markers, a mitochondrial (NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase chain 2, ND2) and a nuclear (V(D)J recombination-activating protein 1, RAG1) one.nnResults. We found clear differences between A. fragilis and A. colchica in molecular markers and phenotype-in meristic features, e.g., ear opening, number of scales rows around the body, and higher than so far known diversity in ND2 and RAG1 haplotypes. The presence of five hybrids was detected in three populations in the Polish part of the European contact zone. In all hybrids, homozygous alleles of RAG1 were detected, which suggests a back-crossing within the genus.nnConclusions. The ability to produce fertile offspring by A. fragilis x A. colchica hybrids shows inefficient mechanisms of reproductive isolation of the two legless lizards. The hybrids were indistinguishable from parental species in head proportions (principal components and discriminant analyses) but more resembling A. colchica in meristic traits.
Czech name
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Czech description
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Classification
Type
J<sub>imp</sub> - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database
CEP classification
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OECD FORD branch
10613 - Zoology
Result continuities
Project
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Continuities
I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace
Others
Publication year
2025
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů
Data specific for result type
Name of the periodical
PeerJ
ISSN
2167-8359
e-ISSN
2167-8359
Volume of the periodical
13
Issue of the periodical within the volume
JAN6
Country of publishing house
GB - UNITED KINGDOM
Number of pages
28
Pages from-to
e18563
UT code for WoS article
001462807500001
EID of the result in the Scopus database
2-s2.0-85214406347