Systematics, Phylogenetics, and Phylogeography of Animals in the Mediterranean Region

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Diversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2025 | Viewed by 6382

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Guest Editor
Department of Biology, School of Sciences and Engineering, University of Crete, Irakleio, Greece
Interests: molecular systematics; phylogeny; phylogeography; genetics sequencing; DNA sequencing; biodiversity conservation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Mediterranean basin, with its diverse landscapes, climate zones, and unique ecological niches, has long captivated biologists and ecologists throughout history. Despite comprising less than 1% of the planet’s surface, the Mediterranean is considered to be one of the world’s hotspots where exceptional concentrations of biodiversity occur. However, the region’s unique wealth is critically endangered as biodiversity rapidly decreases due to human-induced pressures which result in the fragmentation, degradation, and loss of habitat and the extinction of species.

This Mediterranean basin hosts around 7.5% of the world's biodiversity. Its flora diversity is outstanding with 25,000 species, 60% of which are unique to the region. Moreover, about one third of the Mediterranean fauna is endemic, making it an invaluable site for the study of systematics, phylogenetics, and phylogeography. In recent years, researchers have delved into understanding the intricate relationships among Mediterranean animals, shedding light on their evolution, history, genetic diversity, and adaptation strategies. The purpose of this Special Issue of Diversity is to consolidate and showcase the wealth of knowledge and research emerging from these investigations.

Mediterranean ecosystems have been shaped by a complex interplay of geological events, climatic fluctuations, and ecological dynamics, resulting in a unique mosaic of habitats. This has, in turn, driven the diversification of animal species in the region. This Special Issue welcomes a wide range of taxonomic groups, providing comprehensive insights into the evolutionary processes, species relationships, and genetic differentiation of Mediterranean animals. Through state-of-the-art systematics, phylogenetics, and phylogeography, we aim to unravel the mysteries of this biologically rich region and emphasize the importance of its conservation in the face of contemporary challenges, such as habitat degradation and climate change.

We hope that authors and readers will find these upcoming research submissions both informative and inspiring as we venture into the fascinating world of Mediterranean animal diversity.

Prof. Dr. Nikos Poulakakis
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • biodiversity
  • biogeography
  • ecology
  • mediterranean
  • phylogenetics
  • phylogenomics
  • phylogeography
  • speciation
  • systematics

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 1720 KB  
Article
The Maghreb as a Hotspot of Diversity for the Freshwater Crab Genus Potamon (Decapoda, Potamidae)
by Nesrine Rouabhi, Djaouida Bouchelouche, Luca Vecchioni, Youness Mabrouki, Fouzi Abdelkhaleq Taybi, Federico Marrone and Francesco Paolo Faraone
Diversity 2025, 17(8), 562; https://doi.org/10.3390/d17080562 - 10 Aug 2025
Viewed by 592
Abstract
The Maghreb region of North Africa, located at the intersection of the Palaearctic and Afrotropical zones, is a biodiversity hotspot for terrestrial and freshwater taxa, including the freshwater crab of genus Potamon Savigny, 1816. Recent molecular studies have suggested the presence of two [...] Read more.
The Maghreb region of North Africa, located at the intersection of the Palaearctic and Afrotropical zones, is a biodiversity hotspot for terrestrial and freshwater taxa, including the freshwater crab of genus Potamon Savigny, 1816. Recent molecular studies have suggested the presence of two distinct Potamon species in the region: Potamon algeriense Bott, 1967, and an as-yet undescribed taxon, Potamon sp. However, comprehensive data on their distribution, genetic structure, and conservation status are still lacking. In the present study, we integrate new field collections from Algeria and Morocco (2021–2023) with molecular analyses of mitochondrial (COI, ND1) and nuclear (28S rDNA) markers to assess species boundaries and genetic diversity within Potamon across the Maghreb. Phylogenetic reconstructions based on Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference consistently support the presence of two well-differentiated Potamon lineages in the region, corresponding to P. algeriense in western and central Maghreb, and Potamon sp. in eastern Algeria and Tunisia. While Potamon sp. exhibits low intra-specific genetic variation, P. algeriense displays a deeply structured mitochondrial lineage composition, forming four geographically coherent subclades, each corresponding to distinct hydrological regions. In light of this, it would be advisable to revise the IUCN assessment to include both species and updated information on their distribution. Full article
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27 pages, 11804 KB  
Article
New Insights in the Helicellini Ihering, 1909 with Description of Kherattolactea gen. nov. and the First Record of Orexana Chueca, Gómez-Moliner, Madeira & Pfenninger, 2018 from Algeria
by Issaad Kawther Ezzine, Houria Bouaziz-Yahiatene, Willy De Mattia and Eike Neubert
Diversity 2025, 17(8), 550; https://doi.org/10.3390/d17080550 - 2 Aug 2025
Viewed by 553
Abstract
Recent sampling efforts in northern Algeria and the investigation of some collection material has revealed the presence of taxa with conchological and genital morphological similarities to the “Candidula-like” group. A detailed investigation of the anatomy of the genitalia combined with the [...] Read more.
Recent sampling efforts in northern Algeria and the investigation of some collection material has revealed the presence of taxa with conchological and genital morphological similarities to the “Candidula-like” group. A detailed investigation of the anatomy of the genitalia combined with the analysis of two mitochondrial and two nuclear markers of representatives of the known genera as well as two Algerian taxa has been conducted. The result confirms the affiliation of the latter in the “Candidula-like” complex. Comparative anatomical analysis led to the description of a new genus, Kherattolactea gen. nov., endemic to northern Algeria with Xerophila keratae Kobelt 1892 as the type species. The anatomical distinction corroborates the result of the molecular analysis that reveals apomorphic nucleotide substitution. Moreover, the result of the combined analysis provides the first confirmed record of the genus Orexana Chueca, Gómez-Moliner, Madeira & Pfenninger, 2018, in north Africa, represented by the species Orexana lemoinei (Kobelt, 1882) nov. comb. A new Xerogyra species, Xerogyra hallgassi nov. sp., from the Apennine Mountain has been described based on the combination of morphoanatomical and molecular traits. For the first time, the morphoanatomical description of the known Xerogyra species has been presented. Full article
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17 pages, 18811 KB  
Article
Phylogeography of Dolichophis Populations in the Aegean Region (Squamata: Colubridae) with Taxonomic Remarks
by Adam Javorčík, Ilias Strachinis, Evanthia Thanou, Panagiotis Kornilios, Aziz Avcı, Nazan Üzüm, Kurtuluş Olgun, Çetin Ilgaz, Yusuf Kumlutaş, Petros Lymberakis, Zoltán T. Nagy and Daniel Jablonski
Diversity 2024, 16(3), 184; https://doi.org/10.3390/d16030184 - 18 Mar 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3153
Abstract
In this study, we investigate the phylogeographic patterns of Dolichophis species in the Aegean region, aiming to elucidate their genetic diversity and putative historical colonisation routes through mitochondrial and nuclear DNA data. Our findings revealed distinct phylogeographic patterns: D. caspius exhibited a [...] Read more.
In this study, we investigate the phylogeographic patterns of Dolichophis species in the Aegean region, aiming to elucidate their genetic diversity and putative historical colonisation routes through mitochondrial and nuclear DNA data. Our findings revealed distinct phylogeographic patterns: D. caspius exhibited a higher level of haplotypes within two shallow mitochondrial lineages, contrasting with D. jugularis, which displayed lower genetic variability in the area. Additionally, we identified evidence showing possible human-mediated historical translocation of D. caspius populations to Karpathos from the Balkans mainland. The mitochondrial variability in D. jugularis remained relatively uniform across southwestern Anatolia and Dodecanese, except for Rhodes Island. The evidence from mitochondrial and nuclear data confirming the previously described morphological differentiation of the Rhodes snakes, and thus the name D. j. zinneri Cattaneo, 2012, described on the island, could be applied to this isolated population. This result addresses the first genetic view on the long-standing taxonomic uncertainties regarding the subspecies status of Rhodes D. jugularis. Our results also raise questions regarding possible historical hybridisations between D. caspius and D. jugularis in the Dodecanese islands, prompting the need for further investigation using extensive field studies and genomic approaches. Ultimately, the Aegean islands, particularly Kos and Rhodes, seem to be important sites for the evolution of these colubrid snakes and their historical dynamics. Full article
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Review

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15 pages, 1911 KB  
Review
An Aegean View on Non-Adaptive Radiations
by Spyros Sfenthourakis
Diversity 2025, 17(5), 346; https://doi.org/10.3390/d17050346 - 14 May 2025
Viewed by 1186
Abstract
The diversification of lineages sometimes exhibits patterns that are often described as ‘radiations’, which can be seen at various time scales, but researchers most often focus on a fast divergence of parental forms within short time spans. Adaptive radiations are widely discussed and [...] Read more.
The diversification of lineages sometimes exhibits patterns that are often described as ‘radiations’, which can be seen at various time scales, but researchers most often focus on a fast divergence of parental forms within short time spans. Adaptive radiations are widely discussed and have served as important showcases of Darwinian evolutionary processes. Other types of radiation have been identified, too, and several classifications have been suggested. Among these, ‘non-adaptive radiations’ remain controversial till today. Despite concerns on the conceptual basis of such a process, more and more cases of radiation that are described as ‘non-adaptive’ are published, and the continuously accumulating genetic/genomic data for more and more taxa seem to reveal extensive lineage diversification that is often not attributable to any apparent selective force. Given that allopatric divergence due to stochastic processes is presumably the cause of non-adaptive radiations, insular systems provide a rich pool of case studies. Using examples of lineage divergence from various taxa living on the Aegean islands, I discuss the processes leading to non-adaptive radiations in view of the alternative classifications of radiation by other authors, and show that such patterns may also result from a mixture of adaptive and non-adaptive processes. Full article
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