Polymorphism of Microsatellite Loci in Populations of Caucasian Rock Lizards and Its Use for Assessing the Genetic Diversity of Darevskia raddei

The study of Caucasian rock lizards of the Darevskia raddei complex represented by several subspecies is of great interest and scientific significance in connection with their participation in interspecific hybridizations with the formation of five of the seven known unisexual (parthenogenetic) species of the Darevskia genus. Here, we present genetic parameters for populations (subspecies) of D. r. raddei and D. r. nairensis based on the analysis of the variability of ten microsatellite loci of 230 individuals from 17 populations of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. According to these parameters, D. r. raddei are characterized by greater diversity in the number of alleles and genotypes compared to D. r. nairensis. Genetic differentiation analysis showed that D. r. raddei populations are divided into two groups, one of which is genetically closer to D. r. nairensis than to D. r. raddei. Analysis of the association index showed the absence of free recombination of alleles between subspecies, which indicates their isolation and the absence of crossing between individuals. Thus, on the basis of the expanded population sample and the developed panel of microsatellite markers, new data on the population structure of D. raddei species and on the genetic diversity and differentiation of D. r. raddei and D. r. nairensis were obtained.