Karin Tamar

Institute of Evolutionary Biology | IBE

Advances in genomics have greatly enhanced our understanding of mountain biodiversity, providing new insights into the complex and dynamic mechanisms that drive the formation of mountain biotas. These span from broad biogeographic patterns to population dynamics and adaptations to these environments. However, significant challenges remain in integr...

A recent molecular phylogeny of the agamid genus Pseudotrapelus , distributed in the rocky areas of North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, revealed the presence of a genetically distinct lineage around the city of Riyadh in central Saudi Arabia. With the inclusion of additional specimens, we were able to describe this lineage as a new species, P....

Recent phylogenetic studies of the Mediterranean gecko of the genus Mediodactylus revealed that the population inhabiting Crete and adjacent islands represents an endemic species M. bartoni (Štěpánek, 1934). However, the taxonomic and nomenclatural position of two "island" subspecies (Gymnodactylus kotshyi wettsteini Štěpánek, 1936 and G. k. stubbe...

Advances in genomics have greatly enhanced our understanding of mountain biodiversity, providing new insights into the complex and dynamic mechanisms that drive the formation of mountain biotas. These include from broad biogeographic patterns, to population dynamics and adaptations to these environments. However, significant challenges remain in in...

The genus Ptyodactylus comprises 12 species distributed in North Africa and the Middle East. The most widely distributed species of the genus, Ptyodactylus hasselquistii, is known for its great morphological and genetic diversity, and ranges from Sudan and Egypt through Israel and Jordan towards Saudi Arabia and Yemen. In 1905 the first specimen of...

We examined the taxonomy of the minute desert geckos of the Tropiocolotes nattereri species complex using the largest morphological sampling, and the first molecular assessment of intraspecific diversity within this complex. We examined variation in mitochondrial and nuclear markers (12S, ND2, c-mos and MC1R) of 30 samples and analyzed the external...

The skink genus Lobulia is endemic to New Guinea, the largest and highest tropical island in the world. Lobulia and its related genera represent an important component of the montane herpetofauna of New Guinea, but it remains understudied and poorly known. We here provide the first, large-scale, systematic revision of Lobulia, using molecular phylo...

There are currently 3,900 recognized, extant snake species belonging to 529 genera globally (Uetz et al. 2021; this study), making snakes one of the most diverse major groups of squamates. Of the 665 currently recognized species that were described between 2001 and 2020 (a ~17% increase in total species), ~34% of these (226 species) were described...

Aim Deserts are generally perceived as areas of low diversity, and hence receive little attention from researchers and conservationists. Squamates are the dominant group of vertebrates in arid regions, and as such represent an ideal model to study biodiversity patterns in these areas. We examine spatial patterns of diversity, evolutionary history a...

Effective biodiversity conservation planning starts with genetic characterization within and among focal populations, in order to understand the likely impact of threats for ensuring the long-term viability of a species. The Wonder Gecko, Teratoscincus keyserlingii, is one of nine members of the genus. This species is distributed in Iran, Afghanist...

The enigmatic snake genus Micrelaps has uncertain phylogenetic affinities. The type species of the genus, Micrelaps muelleri, inhabits the Southern Levant. Snakes inhabiting the Jordan River Valley just south of the Sea of Galilee have been described as a new species, Micrelaps tchernovi, based on their distinct colour patterns, despite M. muelleri...

We identified two snakes from Paphos district in south-western Cyprus as belonging to the secretive genus Rhynchocalamus. They represent the first record of these snakes in Cyprus. Morphological features and mitochondrial 16S DNA sequences suggest that these specimens belong to R. melanocephalus, a species widely distributed in the Eastern Mediterr...

The genus Psammodromus (Lacertidae) comprises six species. Three of the species are morphologically similar, phylogenetically closely related, and are distributed in the Iberian Peninsula (besides P. algirus): P. occidentalis (Western Iberia), P. hispanicus (Central Spain), and P. edwarsianus (Eastern Spain). Previous studies have shown these three...

Insular animals are thought to be under weak predation pressure and increased intraspecific competition compared with those on the mainland. Thus, insular populations are predicted to evolve 'slow' life histories characterized by fewer and smaller clutches of larger eggs, a pattern called the 'island syndrome'. To test this pattern, we collected da...

New Guinea, the world's largest and highest tropical island, has a rich but poorly known biota. Papuascincus is a genus of skinks endemic to New Guinea's mountain regions, comprising two wide-ranging species and two species known only from their type series. The phylogeny of the genus has never been examined and the relationships among its species...

Human movements in the regions surrounding the Mediterranean Sea have caused a great impact in the composition of terrestrial fauna due to the introductions of several allochthonous species, intentionally or not. Reptiles are one of the groups where this anthropic impact is most evident, owing to the extensive intra-Mediterranean dispersals of rece...

Almost 20% of Oman’s terrestrial reptiles are found on Masirah Island. Despite its ancient geological history and its long isolation, Masirah Island only harbours one endemic reptile species, Hemidactylus masirahensis. In this study, we use an integrative approach to explore the variation in Pristurus minimus, to revise its systematics and to asses...

The agamid Pseudotrapelus lizards inhabit the mountainous areas of the Arabian Peninsula and eastern North Africa. Currently six Pseudotrapelus species are recognised, though diagnostic morphological characters are still lacking, creating great difficulty in describing new species. Recently, two specimens of Pseudotrapelus were collected from the v...

Asaccus geckos are distributed in southwest Asia, mainly in Iran and Arabia. Currently, seven Asaccus species are recognized in Arabia, all endemic to the isolated Hajar Mountains in Oman and the UAE, an area regarded as a biodiversity and endemicity hotspot. Previous phylogenetic studies have shown a non‐monophyletic structure of the Arabian Asacc...

Animal lifespan is determined by extrinsic and intrinsic factors causing mortality. According to the evolutionary theories of senescence, when mortality pressures are low, animals delay reproduction. This enables species to grow more slowly and, consequently, natural selection can act against harmful mutations in adulthood, thereby increasing lifes...

Regions with complex geological histories present a major challenge for scientists studying the processes that have shaped their biotas. The history of the vast and biologically rich tropical island of New Guinea is particularly complex and poorly resolved. Competing geological models propose New Guinea emerged as a substantial landmass either duri...

Recent molecular phylogenies of the Acanthodactylus pardalis species-group have revealed a deep genetic divergence within the nominal species A. busacki from north-west Africa. The species is phylogenetically separated into northern and southern lineages, which correspond to a previously observed morphological differentiation between the northern a...

In recent years, unusually large geckos have been sighted in Kibbutz Ein Gedi in the Judean Desert, Israel. These geckos are morphologically different from the local, Sinai fan-fingered gecko (Ptyodactylus guttatus), one of the largest gecko species in Israel. In order to identify this population to species level and its origin, we examined specime...

Background The colubrid snakes of the genus Rhynchocalamus are seldom studied and knowledge of their ecology and life history is scarce. Three species of Rhynchocalamus are currently recognized, R. satunini (from Turkey eastwards to Iran), R. arabicus (Yemen and Oman), and R. melanocephalus (from the Sinai Peninsula northwards to Turkey). All are s...

Information on the phylogenetic analyses (A) Species-set A; (B) species-set B; (C) species-set C.

Morphological dataset of all examined specimens of Rhynchocalamus Taxon names correspond to changes proposed in this paper. Specimens used in the genetic analyses (genetic; n = 26) are presented in Fig. 1. (*) Specimens of R. melanocephalus from the Negev region in Israel (n = 9). Dataset of the mensural characters is presented in millimetres. Meri...

Results of the mPTP species delimitation analysis The Analysis was based on haplotype mtDNA (dataset 4). Asterisk indicates representatives used for the divergence time estimation analysis. Sample codes correlate to specimens in Table S1 and in Figs. 1–2,Tables S1–S3.

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Statistical results of the morphological dataset P-values in bold indicate high level of statistical significance. Abbreviations of each morphological variable, as in Table S3, are listed in the Material and Methods section.

Data on the genetic datasets and the genetic distance within Rhynchocalamus Taxon names correspond to changes proposed in this paper. (A) Rhynchocalamus dataset. Localities for Rhynchocalamus are presented in Fig. 1. (*) Specimen used for the morphological examinations; (i) Haplotypes used for the species delimitation analyses (n = 28); (ii) Repres...

Maximum likelihood gene tree of the Western Palearctic colubrid clade The tree was inferred from the concatenated dataset of the mitochondrial (12S, 16S, cytb) and nuclear (c-mos) gene fragments (dataset 1). Support values near the nodes indicate ML bootstrap and BI posterior probability (values ≥ 70%, ≥ 0.95; ML, BI, respectively). Sample codes an...

Time calibrated Bayesian Inference tree of the Western Palearctic Colubrine clade The tree was inferred from the concatenated dataset of the mitochondrial (12S, 16S, cytb) and nuclear (c-mos) gene fragments (dataset 1), based on two calibration points of Hemorrhois and Hierophis subgroups (blue circles; see Material and Methods; dataset 2). Median...

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Species distribution models of Rhynchocalamus taxa Projected Maxent models of the potential presence/absence of R. dayanae sp. nov., R. melanocephalus and R. satunini. The cut-off threshold was Maximum Training Sensitivity plus Specificity (MTSS) to convert the continuous Maxent output to binary maps. Colours correspond to taxa in Table S1 and in F...

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The genus Rhynchocalamus comprises three species distributed in Southwest Asia. Little is known about them, most probably because of their secretive fossorial lifestyle. The poor knowledge of the genus is even underscored by the fact that its phylogenetic affinities remained unclear until very recently. The least known of the species, Rhynchocalamu...

The genus Rhynchocalamus comprises three species distributed in Southwest Asia. Little is known about them, most probably because of their secretive fossorial lifestyle. The poor knowledge of the genus is even underscored by the fact that its phylogenetic affinities remained unclear until very recently. The least known of the species, Rhynchocalamu...

Acanthodactylus is a widespread lacertid genus occurring from the Iberian Peninsula and western North Africa to western India including the Middle East, Cyprus, and the Arabian Peninsula. The genus is in dire need of a taxonomic revision, and the phylogenetic relationships amongst and within its species remain unclear. In particular, the taxonomy a...

Acanthodactylus is a widespread lacertid genus occurring from the Iberian Peninsula and western North Africa to western India including the Middle East, Cyprus, and the Arabian Peninsula. The genus is in dire need of a taxonomic revision, and the phylogenetic relationships amongst and within its species remain unclear. In particular, the taxonomy a...

http://www.checklist.org.br/getpdf?NGD161-12

We present a zooarchaeological analysis of the faunal remains at Tel Beth-Shemesh, a site located in the Shephelah region of Israel, which has been dated to the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age I. The site, identified as the biblical city of Beth-Shemesh, was a Canaanite border town between Philistine and Israelite settlements and of great importance i...