Sinos Giokas | University of Patras (original) (raw)

Papers by Sinos Giokas

Research paper thumbnail of Effects of abiotic factors on eggs’ dimensions of Cory’s Shearwater in a southern Ionian colony

Numerous studies of the factors affecting egg size in Procellariiformes have been conducted and h... more Numerous studies of the factors affecting egg size in Procellariiformes have been conducted and have proved very informative about their breeding ecology. Here we present the first results concerning the correlations between abiotic factors (orientation of nest entrance, type of nest, humidity and temperature in the nest) with egg dimensions (length, width and weight) of Cory’s Shearwaters (Calonectris diomedea diomedea) on the Stamfani Island colony. Fieldwork was carried out in June 2011, during the early stages of laying so as to minimize the bias on the egg weight measurements. A total sample of 30 eggs laid in different sub-colonies of the island were examined and length, width and weight scores (mean ± s.d.) were estimated at 6.75 ± 0.19 cm, 4.55 ± 0.14 cm and 76.40 ± 4.70 grams respectively. The aforementioned results enhance previous findings that support morphometric differences between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean Cory’s Shearwater subspecies. In addition significant...

Research paper thumbnail of Significant Pairwise Co-occurrence Patterns Are Not the Rule in the Majority of Biotic Communities

Research paper thumbnail of GPS tracking of the foraging strategy of Scopoli’s Shearwater Calonectris diomedea in the Ionian Sea

Nowadays, modern telemetry tool give information of high level of accuracy regarding seabird fora... more Nowadays, modern telemetry tool give information of high level of accuracy regarding seabird foraging movements at sea. Here we report the first data of tracked breeding Scopoli’s Shearwaters (Calonectris diomedea) during the early stages of chick rearing period on one of the Strofades islands (southern Ionian Sea). Global Positioning System (GPS) loggers (20g, <5% of the bird’s body mass) storing tracking information were used on 18 breeders between 2011 and 2012. A total number of 12 individual foraging trips of varying degrees of completeness were obtained, showing a success rate of up to 67% per deployment. The stored tracks revealed that the majority of Scopoli’s Shearwaters made short foraging movements for food provision to their chicks which lasted one day. Spatial analysis of recordings showed that breeders use mainly four to five different foraging areas in western Peloponnese and Zakynthos island. The study provides also possible explanations of the tracked foraging ac...

Research paper thumbnail of Between‐island compositional dissimilarity of avian communities

Ecological Research, 2014

Compositional dissimilarity patterns of biotic communities can vary among different types of insu... more Compositional dissimilarity patterns of biotic communities can vary among different types of insular systems and among taxa with different dispersal abilities. In this work we examined compositional dissimilarity patterns of four avian groups, namely birds of prey, waterbirds, seabirds and landbirds, in various insular systems around the world. Compositional dissimilarity of avian communities was calculated for 25 presence‐absence matrices compiled from the literature. We used generalized linear mixed‐effects models to check for differences in between‐island compositional dissimilarity among the aforementioned avian groups that differ in their dispersal abilities, as well as between two different types of insular systems, oceanic and continental shelf. In agreement with our original hypothesis, landbirds which have relatively poorer dispersal abilities than birds of prey and waterbirds, exhibit higher between‐island compositional dissimilarity compared to these two avian groups. On ...

Research paper thumbnail of Does by-catch pose a threat for the conservation of seabird populations in the southern Ionian Sea (eastern Mediterranean)? A questionnaire based survey of local fisheries

Mediterranean Marine Science, 2013

A significant number of studies worldwide have shown that incidental catches (by-catch) of seabir... more A significant number of studies worldwide have shown that incidental catches (by-catch) of seabirds in fishing gear might pose a considerable risk for the conservation of their populations. Nevertheless reliable data on by-catch rates of seabirds in European marine ecosystems are patchy and need to be improved. This study constitutes a first attempt at the evaluation of by-catch rates in the southern Ionian Sea. Data were obtained by distributing a specific questionnaire to the fishers of Zakynthos Island. 150 professional fishers (representing 90% of the local fishing fleet) participated in the research, and were interviewed during July-December 2010. The information collected showed that commercial longline and (to a lesser extent) gillnet fishery gears caused incidental catches mostly of Scopoli’s Shearwater and Mediterranean Shag. The temporal analysis of the incidental bird mortality showed that seabirds were more susceptible to be trapped in fishery gears set around sunrise du...

Research paper thumbnail of Preprint

Research paper thumbnail of Census of total and breeding population of Scopoli’s Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea) colony on Strofades islands (Ionian Sea, Greece)

ABSTRACT Strofades Islands (37° 15’ N, 21° 00’ E) host a significant Scopoli’s Shearwater (Calone... more ABSTRACT Strofades Islands (37° 15’ N, 21° 00’ E) host a significant Scopoli’s Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea) colony, the largest in Greece. The total population on these two small islands (Stamfani and Arpyia), was estimated via coastal surveys by counting rafts which can comprise thousands of birds, 1-2 hours before dawn. Fieldwork involved three teams working simultaneously during the breeding seasons of 2009 and 2013. Total population size was estimated to be between 17,000 to 18,000 individuals whereas the population density on Stamfani and Arpyia were 3,068 inds and 2,723 inds per km of suitable nesting coastline respectively. The survey of the breeding population was based on assessing the Apparently Occupied Sites (AOS) in 30 square sampling units of 100 m2 each. Stratified sampling was made in 2009 after two nesting habitats of different quality were identified. The total breeding population was estimated from the density of nests (average over the sample units) and the size of the suitable nesting habitat of the colony, and was found about 5,587 pairs (C.I. 95%: 3,518 – 7,649), 3,585 pairs of which (C.I. 95%: 2,256 – 4,909) were on Stamfani Isl. and 2,002 pairs (C.I. 95%: 1.262 – 2.740) on Arpyia Isl.

Research paper thumbnail of A biogeographical analysis of Greek Oniscidean endemism

ABSTRACT Despite our incomplete knowledge of Greek Oniscidea, a great number of species have alre... more ABSTRACT Despite our incomplete knowledge of Greek Oniscidea, a great number of species have already been described, of which 69% are endemic. This unusually high percentage of endemics is a result of intense speciation triggered by the complex topography, paleogeography, and ecological history of Greece. Using 100 × 100 km Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) squares as Operational Geographic Units (OGUs), we mapped the presence of all endemic species known until 1995, and applied Parsimony Analysis of Endemicity (PAE) in order to find patterns of OGU relationships. In the procedure, we reduced the original data matrix in two successive steps, excluding unin—formative and problematic species and OGUs. We analyzed separately the endemic species of the large genus Armadillidium, following the same procedure. The results lead to the recognition of two main biogeographic entities, the mountainous continental and the insular Aegean. These groups, and the relationships of OGUs on a finer scale, do not fully agr...

Research paper thumbnail of Water balance and expression of heat-shock protein 70 in Codringtonia species: a study within a phylogenetic framework

Journal of Molluscan Studies, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Mitochondrial phylogeny and biogeographic history of the Greek endemic land-snail genus Codringtonia Kobelt 1898 (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Helicidae)

Molecular phylogenetics and evolution, 2012

The aim of this work was to infer the phylogeny of the Greek endemic land-snail genus Codringtoni... more The aim of this work was to infer the phylogeny of the Greek endemic land-snail genus Codringtonia Kobelt 1898, estimate the time frame of the radiation of the genus, and propose a biogeographic scenario that could explain the contemporary distribution of Codringtonia lineages. The study took place in the districts of Peloponnese, Central Greece and Epirus of mainland Greece. Sequence data originating from three mtDNA genes (COI, COII, and 16S rDNA) were used to infer the phylogeny of the eight nominal Codringtonia species. Furthermore, the radiation time-frame of extant Codringtonia species was estimated using a relaxed molecular clock analysis and mtDNA substitution rates of land snails. The phylogenetic analysis supported the existence of six Codringtonia lineages in Greece and indicated that one nominal species (Codringtonia neocrassa) might belong to a separate genus distantly related to Codringtonia. The time frame of differentiation of Codringtonia species was placed in the L...

Research paper thumbnail of Phylogeography and genetic structure of the slow worms Anguis cephallonica and Anguis graeca (Squamata: Anguidae) from the southern Balkan Peninsula

Amphibia-Reptilia, 2014

Two slow worm species are distributed at the southernmost part of the Balkan Peninsula: Anguis ce... more Two slow worm species are distributed at the southernmost part of the Balkan Peninsula: Anguis cephallonica, an endemic of the Peloponnese and the islands Zakynthos, Ithaki and Kephallonia, and A. graeca. Here, we investigate the intraspecific genetic diversity of A. cephallonica from the Peloponnese and Kephallonia and analyse A. graeca, from the northern Peloponnese, where it is found in sympatry with A. cephallonica. MtDNA and nDNA phylogenetic analyses confirm the genetic similarity of Peloponnesian and Kephallonian populations of A. cephallonica and reveal significant mtDNA genetic variation within it, probably related to the occurrence of multiple subrefugia in the Peloponnese. Peloponnesian A. graeca populations are genetically similar to non-Peloponnesian conspecifics implying recent dispersal to the Peloponnese. In contrast to the genetic markers, morphological characteristics (such as the number of mid-body scale-rows) failed to distinguish between Peloponnesian A. cephall...

Research paper thumbnail of Inference of evolutionary patterns of the land snail Albinaria in the Aegean archipelago: Is vicariance enough?

Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 2007

Research paper thumbnail of Predator-Prey Interactions between Shell-Boring Beetle Larvae and Rock-Dwelling Land Snails

Research paper thumbnail of Morphometric and meristic diversity of the species Scolopendra cingulata Latreille, 1829 (Chilopoda: Scolopendridae) in the Mediterranean region

Scolopendra cingulata Latreille, 1829 is the commonest scolopendromorph species in the Mediterran... more Scolopendra cingulata Latreille, 1829 is the commonest scolopendromorph species in the Mediterranean area. However, its morphological and geographic variation has not been examined so far, and therefore robust hypotheses about the factors that have shaped that variability are lacking. We examined, using multivariate methods for 19 morphometric and meristic characters, the morphological variation of that species using a comprehensive sample of 503 adult specimens from 130 restricted geographic localities. The localities were distributed in three major geographic areas (Balkans, Asia Minor-Middle East, and Italy) in order to discern biological entities and to estimate the morphological relationships between populations and geographic regions. Results showed significant differences between the three geographic groups. Characters such as the distance between the paramedian sulci of the 7th and 8th tergite, the number of antennal segments, the number of spines on the dorsal side of 21st prefemur and number of spines on the 21st prefemoral process significantly discriminated populations of S. cingulata along a west-east geographic gradient. Both eastern (Balkan) and easternmost populations (Asia Minor-Middle East) showed higher mean values of antennal articles and spines of 21st prefemur than the Italian populations. No significant morphological variation was discovered between the sexes of S. cingulata apart from cephalic width and distance between the two paramedian sulci of the 7th and 8th tergite. Based on certain morphometric differences among the three major geographic regions, we suggest that S. cingulata originated in the east and colonized south European area from two different geographic routes. It is suggested that west-east morphological trend of S. cingulata is related either to the prominent palaeogeographic events of the area or to the competition with S. oraniensis Lucas, 1846 in the western Mediterranean.

Research paper thumbnail of Mitochondrial phylogeography, intraspecific diversity and phenotypic convergence in the four‐lined snake (Reptilia, Squamata)

Zoologica Scripta, 2013

The four‐lined snake, Elaphe quatuorlineata, has a fragmented distribution, restricted in contine... more The four‐lined snake, Elaphe quatuorlineata, has a fragmented distribution, restricted in continental regions and islands of the Italian and Balkan peninsulas, and includes several morphologically described subspecies. In this study, mtDNA sequences are used to investigate its evolutionary and biogeographical history, to explore the role of palaeogeography, palaeoclimate and human activities in shaping the observed phylogeographical patterns and to discuss whether current subspecific taxonomy is consistent with the intraspecific phylogeny. The phylogeography of the species is a result of both vicariant and dispersal events, some of them transmarine and even human mediated. Its diversification began approximately 3.5 Mya and continued during the Pleistocene glacial periods, when the four‐lined snake's range was restricted in the Italian and Balkan peninsulas, and subsequently expanded from subrefugia, which acted as ‘biodiversity pockets’. Our study supports the recognition of th...

Research paper thumbnail of Sex Determination of Scopoli's Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea) Juveniles: A Combined Molecular and Morphometric Approach

Research paper thumbnail of Phylogenetic position, origin and biogeography of Palearctic and Socotran blind-snakes (Serpentes: Typhlopidae)

Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 2013

Research paper thumbnail of Neogene climatic oscillations shape the biogeography and evolutionary history of the Eurasian blindsnake

Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 2012

Research paper thumbnail of Ecological and physiological adaptations of the land snail albinariacaerulea (pulmonata: clausiliidae)

Journal of Molluscan Studies, 2005

Research paper thumbnail of Mitochondrial Dna and Morphological Differentiation of Albinaria Populations (Gastropoda: Clausiliidae)

Journal of Molluscan Studies, 1995

ABSTRACT Albinaria , despite its restricted geographical distribution, exhibits an extreme degree... more ABSTRACT Albinaria , despite its restricted geographical distribution, exhibits an extreme degree of differentiation. The use of conventional or numerical taxonomy has not facilitated the understanding of evolution of the genus. Twelve populations belonging to four species were studied with a combined approach using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and qualitative morphological data. The complete mtDNA genome of A. coerulea from Amorgos island was cloned and used in mtDNA restriction site analysis of the other populations. Maximum parsimony cladistic analysis of nine populations provided trees sharing the same basic topology. Certain restriction sites and morphological characters appear to be species specific, while incongruity is observed at the intraspecific level. Sequence divergence and the paleogeographic history of the area were used for construction of an evolutionary scenario and a rough estimation of the Albinaria mtDNA clock.

Research paper thumbnail of Effects of abiotic factors on eggs’ dimensions of Cory’s Shearwater in a southern Ionian colony

Numerous studies of the factors affecting egg size in Procellariiformes have been conducted and h... more Numerous studies of the factors affecting egg size in Procellariiformes have been conducted and have proved very informative about their breeding ecology. Here we present the first results concerning the correlations between abiotic factors (orientation of nest entrance, type of nest, humidity and temperature in the nest) with egg dimensions (length, width and weight) of Cory’s Shearwaters (Calonectris diomedea diomedea) on the Stamfani Island colony. Fieldwork was carried out in June 2011, during the early stages of laying so as to minimize the bias on the egg weight measurements. A total sample of 30 eggs laid in different sub-colonies of the island were examined and length, width and weight scores (mean ± s.d.) were estimated at 6.75 ± 0.19 cm, 4.55 ± 0.14 cm and 76.40 ± 4.70 grams respectively. The aforementioned results enhance previous findings that support morphometric differences between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean Cory’s Shearwater subspecies. In addition significant...

Research paper thumbnail of Significant Pairwise Co-occurrence Patterns Are Not the Rule in the Majority of Biotic Communities

Research paper thumbnail of GPS tracking of the foraging strategy of Scopoli’s Shearwater Calonectris diomedea in the Ionian Sea

Nowadays, modern telemetry tool give information of high level of accuracy regarding seabird fora... more Nowadays, modern telemetry tool give information of high level of accuracy regarding seabird foraging movements at sea. Here we report the first data of tracked breeding Scopoli’s Shearwaters (Calonectris diomedea) during the early stages of chick rearing period on one of the Strofades islands (southern Ionian Sea). Global Positioning System (GPS) loggers (20g, <5% of the bird’s body mass) storing tracking information were used on 18 breeders between 2011 and 2012. A total number of 12 individual foraging trips of varying degrees of completeness were obtained, showing a success rate of up to 67% per deployment. The stored tracks revealed that the majority of Scopoli’s Shearwaters made short foraging movements for food provision to their chicks which lasted one day. Spatial analysis of recordings showed that breeders use mainly four to five different foraging areas in western Peloponnese and Zakynthos island. The study provides also possible explanations of the tracked foraging ac...

Research paper thumbnail of Between‐island compositional dissimilarity of avian communities

Ecological Research, 2014

Compositional dissimilarity patterns of biotic communities can vary among different types of insu... more Compositional dissimilarity patterns of biotic communities can vary among different types of insular systems and among taxa with different dispersal abilities. In this work we examined compositional dissimilarity patterns of four avian groups, namely birds of prey, waterbirds, seabirds and landbirds, in various insular systems around the world. Compositional dissimilarity of avian communities was calculated for 25 presence‐absence matrices compiled from the literature. We used generalized linear mixed‐effects models to check for differences in between‐island compositional dissimilarity among the aforementioned avian groups that differ in their dispersal abilities, as well as between two different types of insular systems, oceanic and continental shelf. In agreement with our original hypothesis, landbirds which have relatively poorer dispersal abilities than birds of prey and waterbirds, exhibit higher between‐island compositional dissimilarity compared to these two avian groups. On ...

Research paper thumbnail of Does by-catch pose a threat for the conservation of seabird populations in the southern Ionian Sea (eastern Mediterranean)? A questionnaire based survey of local fisheries

Mediterranean Marine Science, 2013

A significant number of studies worldwide have shown that incidental catches (by-catch) of seabir... more A significant number of studies worldwide have shown that incidental catches (by-catch) of seabirds in fishing gear might pose a considerable risk for the conservation of their populations. Nevertheless reliable data on by-catch rates of seabirds in European marine ecosystems are patchy and need to be improved. This study constitutes a first attempt at the evaluation of by-catch rates in the southern Ionian Sea. Data were obtained by distributing a specific questionnaire to the fishers of Zakynthos Island. 150 professional fishers (representing 90% of the local fishing fleet) participated in the research, and were interviewed during July-December 2010. The information collected showed that commercial longline and (to a lesser extent) gillnet fishery gears caused incidental catches mostly of Scopoli’s Shearwater and Mediterranean Shag. The temporal analysis of the incidental bird mortality showed that seabirds were more susceptible to be trapped in fishery gears set around sunrise du...

Research paper thumbnail of Preprint

Research paper thumbnail of Census of total and breeding population of Scopoli’s Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea) colony on Strofades islands (Ionian Sea, Greece)

ABSTRACT Strofades Islands (37° 15’ N, 21° 00’ E) host a significant Scopoli’s Shearwater (Calone... more ABSTRACT Strofades Islands (37° 15’ N, 21° 00’ E) host a significant Scopoli’s Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea) colony, the largest in Greece. The total population on these two small islands (Stamfani and Arpyia), was estimated via coastal surveys by counting rafts which can comprise thousands of birds, 1-2 hours before dawn. Fieldwork involved three teams working simultaneously during the breeding seasons of 2009 and 2013. Total population size was estimated to be between 17,000 to 18,000 individuals whereas the population density on Stamfani and Arpyia were 3,068 inds and 2,723 inds per km of suitable nesting coastline respectively. The survey of the breeding population was based on assessing the Apparently Occupied Sites (AOS) in 30 square sampling units of 100 m2 each. Stratified sampling was made in 2009 after two nesting habitats of different quality were identified. The total breeding population was estimated from the density of nests (average over the sample units) and the size of the suitable nesting habitat of the colony, and was found about 5,587 pairs (C.I. 95%: 3,518 – 7,649), 3,585 pairs of which (C.I. 95%: 2,256 – 4,909) were on Stamfani Isl. and 2,002 pairs (C.I. 95%: 1.262 – 2.740) on Arpyia Isl.

Research paper thumbnail of A biogeographical analysis of Greek Oniscidean endemism

ABSTRACT Despite our incomplete knowledge of Greek Oniscidea, a great number of species have alre... more ABSTRACT Despite our incomplete knowledge of Greek Oniscidea, a great number of species have already been described, of which 69% are endemic. This unusually high percentage of endemics is a result of intense speciation triggered by the complex topography, paleogeography, and ecological history of Greece. Using 100 × 100 km Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) squares as Operational Geographic Units (OGUs), we mapped the presence of all endemic species known until 1995, and applied Parsimony Analysis of Endemicity (PAE) in order to find patterns of OGU relationships. In the procedure, we reduced the original data matrix in two successive steps, excluding unin—formative and problematic species and OGUs. We analyzed separately the endemic species of the large genus Armadillidium, following the same procedure. The results lead to the recognition of two main biogeographic entities, the mountainous continental and the insular Aegean. These groups, and the relationships of OGUs on a finer scale, do not fully agr...

Research paper thumbnail of Water balance and expression of heat-shock protein 70 in Codringtonia species: a study within a phylogenetic framework

Journal of Molluscan Studies, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Mitochondrial phylogeny and biogeographic history of the Greek endemic land-snail genus Codringtonia Kobelt 1898 (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Helicidae)

Molecular phylogenetics and evolution, 2012

The aim of this work was to infer the phylogeny of the Greek endemic land-snail genus Codringtoni... more The aim of this work was to infer the phylogeny of the Greek endemic land-snail genus Codringtonia Kobelt 1898, estimate the time frame of the radiation of the genus, and propose a biogeographic scenario that could explain the contemporary distribution of Codringtonia lineages. The study took place in the districts of Peloponnese, Central Greece and Epirus of mainland Greece. Sequence data originating from three mtDNA genes (COI, COII, and 16S rDNA) were used to infer the phylogeny of the eight nominal Codringtonia species. Furthermore, the radiation time-frame of extant Codringtonia species was estimated using a relaxed molecular clock analysis and mtDNA substitution rates of land snails. The phylogenetic analysis supported the existence of six Codringtonia lineages in Greece and indicated that one nominal species (Codringtonia neocrassa) might belong to a separate genus distantly related to Codringtonia. The time frame of differentiation of Codringtonia species was placed in the L...

Research paper thumbnail of Phylogeography and genetic structure of the slow worms Anguis cephallonica and Anguis graeca (Squamata: Anguidae) from the southern Balkan Peninsula

Amphibia-Reptilia, 2014

Two slow worm species are distributed at the southernmost part of the Balkan Peninsula: Anguis ce... more Two slow worm species are distributed at the southernmost part of the Balkan Peninsula: Anguis cephallonica, an endemic of the Peloponnese and the islands Zakynthos, Ithaki and Kephallonia, and A. graeca. Here, we investigate the intraspecific genetic diversity of A. cephallonica from the Peloponnese and Kephallonia and analyse A. graeca, from the northern Peloponnese, where it is found in sympatry with A. cephallonica. MtDNA and nDNA phylogenetic analyses confirm the genetic similarity of Peloponnesian and Kephallonian populations of A. cephallonica and reveal significant mtDNA genetic variation within it, probably related to the occurrence of multiple subrefugia in the Peloponnese. Peloponnesian A. graeca populations are genetically similar to non-Peloponnesian conspecifics implying recent dispersal to the Peloponnese. In contrast to the genetic markers, morphological characteristics (such as the number of mid-body scale-rows) failed to distinguish between Peloponnesian A. cephall...

Research paper thumbnail of Inference of evolutionary patterns of the land snail Albinaria in the Aegean archipelago: Is vicariance enough?

Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 2007

Research paper thumbnail of Predator-Prey Interactions between Shell-Boring Beetle Larvae and Rock-Dwelling Land Snails

Research paper thumbnail of Morphometric and meristic diversity of the species Scolopendra cingulata Latreille, 1829 (Chilopoda: Scolopendridae) in the Mediterranean region

Scolopendra cingulata Latreille, 1829 is the commonest scolopendromorph species in the Mediterran... more Scolopendra cingulata Latreille, 1829 is the commonest scolopendromorph species in the Mediterranean area. However, its morphological and geographic variation has not been examined so far, and therefore robust hypotheses about the factors that have shaped that variability are lacking. We examined, using multivariate methods for 19 morphometric and meristic characters, the morphological variation of that species using a comprehensive sample of 503 adult specimens from 130 restricted geographic localities. The localities were distributed in three major geographic areas (Balkans, Asia Minor-Middle East, and Italy) in order to discern biological entities and to estimate the morphological relationships between populations and geographic regions. Results showed significant differences between the three geographic groups. Characters such as the distance between the paramedian sulci of the 7th and 8th tergite, the number of antennal segments, the number of spines on the dorsal side of 21st prefemur and number of spines on the 21st prefemoral process significantly discriminated populations of S. cingulata along a west-east geographic gradient. Both eastern (Balkan) and easternmost populations (Asia Minor-Middle East) showed higher mean values of antennal articles and spines of 21st prefemur than the Italian populations. No significant morphological variation was discovered between the sexes of S. cingulata apart from cephalic width and distance between the two paramedian sulci of the 7th and 8th tergite. Based on certain morphometric differences among the three major geographic regions, we suggest that S. cingulata originated in the east and colonized south European area from two different geographic routes. It is suggested that west-east morphological trend of S. cingulata is related either to the prominent palaeogeographic events of the area or to the competition with S. oraniensis Lucas, 1846 in the western Mediterranean.

Research paper thumbnail of Mitochondrial phylogeography, intraspecific diversity and phenotypic convergence in the four‐lined snake (Reptilia, Squamata)

Zoologica Scripta, 2013

The four‐lined snake, Elaphe quatuorlineata, has a fragmented distribution, restricted in contine... more The four‐lined snake, Elaphe quatuorlineata, has a fragmented distribution, restricted in continental regions and islands of the Italian and Balkan peninsulas, and includes several morphologically described subspecies. In this study, mtDNA sequences are used to investigate its evolutionary and biogeographical history, to explore the role of palaeogeography, palaeoclimate and human activities in shaping the observed phylogeographical patterns and to discuss whether current subspecific taxonomy is consistent with the intraspecific phylogeny. The phylogeography of the species is a result of both vicariant and dispersal events, some of them transmarine and even human mediated. Its diversification began approximately 3.5 Mya and continued during the Pleistocene glacial periods, when the four‐lined snake's range was restricted in the Italian and Balkan peninsulas, and subsequently expanded from subrefugia, which acted as ‘biodiversity pockets’. Our study supports the recognition of th...

Research paper thumbnail of Sex Determination of Scopoli's Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea) Juveniles: A Combined Molecular and Morphometric Approach

Research paper thumbnail of Phylogenetic position, origin and biogeography of Palearctic and Socotran blind-snakes (Serpentes: Typhlopidae)

Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 2013

Research paper thumbnail of Neogene climatic oscillations shape the biogeography and evolutionary history of the Eurasian blindsnake

Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 2012

Research paper thumbnail of Ecological and physiological adaptations of the land snail albinariacaerulea (pulmonata: clausiliidae)

Journal of Molluscan Studies, 2005

Research paper thumbnail of Mitochondrial Dna and Morphological Differentiation of Albinaria Populations (Gastropoda: Clausiliidae)

Journal of Molluscan Studies, 1995

ABSTRACT Albinaria , despite its restricted geographical distribution, exhibits an extreme degree... more ABSTRACT Albinaria , despite its restricted geographical distribution, exhibits an extreme degree of differentiation. The use of conventional or numerical taxonomy has not facilitated the understanding of evolution of the genus. Twelve populations belonging to four species were studied with a combined approach using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and qualitative morphological data. The complete mtDNA genome of A. coerulea from Amorgos island was cloned and used in mtDNA restriction site analysis of the other populations. Maximum parsimony cladistic analysis of nine populations provided trees sharing the same basic topology. Certain restriction sites and morphological characters appear to be species specific, while incongruity is observed at the intraspecific level. Sequence divergence and the paleogeographic history of the area were used for construction of an evolutionary scenario and a rough estimation of the Albinaria mtDNA clock.