Subspecies:

Apathya cappadocica urmiana  (LANTZ & SUCHOW, 1934)

Types:

Holotype: ZISP 12657b

Terra Typica:

“Eastern Persia, gorge of Berdesur River, Kherra Village” (= Iran, West Azerbaijan Province, gorge of Berdesur-Chay River (= Shahar-Chay), area of drowned Kherra Village, Shahar Chay Reservoir), 37°26′55.3′′N 44°54′05.3′′E, 1550 m asl, 8.06.1916, coll. Urmia expedition of the Caucasian Museum.

Relevant taxonomic literature:

• Lantz, L.A. & Suchow, G.F. (1934) -  Apathya cappadocica urmiana subsp. nov., eine neue Eidechsenform aus dem persischen Kurdistan -  Zoologischer Anzeiger, Leipzig, 106: 294-299.  

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• Eiselt, J. (1979) -  Ergebnisse zoologischer Sammelreisen in der TüŸrkei Lacerta cappadocica Werner, 1902 (Lacertidae, Reptilia), -  Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien, 82: 387-421.    

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  A revisionary study of 366 specimens of Lacerta cappadodca WERNER, from Turkey, Iraq, and Iranhas revealed the existence of 5 subspecies: L. c. cappadodca WERNER (Kilikian Taurus to west of Malatya) ; L. c. wolteri (BIRD, 1936) (Amanus-Mountains to the Euphrates) ; L. c. muhtari ssp. nov. (east of Malatya and the Euphrates to the south of Lake Van, Turkey and to Sersang, Northeastern Iraq); L. c. schmidtlerorum ssp. nov. (around Diyarbakir and Viransehir); L. c. urmiana (LANTZ & STJCHOW, 1934) (South- eastern Turkey, Northeastern Iraq, Northwestern Iran).

• Doronin, I.V. & Doroninа, M.A. (2020) -  Review of type specimens of lizards (Sauria: Lacertidae) described by Georgy Fedorovich Sukhov. -  Proceedings of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, 324 (4): 506-524.  

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  The paper provides data on the current location of the type specimens of lacertid lizard’s taxa described by herpe- tologist Georgy F. Sukhov (1899–1942), as at July 1, 2020: Lacerta agilis tauridica Suchow, 1927 (lectotype [here designated] – ZISP No 12620, paralectotypes – ZISP No 3226, 3235, 3238, 3856, 10366в, 12230, 12231, 12520, 12619, 14110, NMNH No 2152 (14599–14600), 2163 (14621–14622), 2172 (14705–14712), 2184 (14772–14773), 2184 (14774–14777), 2188 (14872–14893), 2279 (15983–16037), 2279 (16038–16074), 2518 (16621)), Lacerta boemica Suchow, 1929 (lectotype [here designated] – ZISP No 30363, paralectotypes – ZISP No 16210, 30358- 30362, 30364-30398.1, NHM No 1960.1.4.26–30, 1965.337–342, NMNO no No), Apathya cappadocica urmiana Lantz et Suchow, 1934 (holotype – ZISP No 12657b, paratypes – ZISP No 11444, 12657a, c, 12658), Lacerta princeps kurdistanica Suchow, 1936 (holotype – ZISP No 11441.1, paratypes – ZISP No 11440, 11441.2–4, 11442, 11443). According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (4th edition), the name Lacerta agilis caucasica Suchow, 1927 should be considered as a junior primary homonym of Lacerta caucasica Méhely, 1909, and the designation of the neotype of L. a. tauridica by Kalyabina-Hauf et al. must be rejected. The history of de- scription of taxa as well as a list of Sukhov’s publications (12 articles published in 1927–1948) are given. Localities, collector’s names and dates of capture of the type specimens are clarified. Anderson and Šmíd et al. indicated that Eiselt restricted the type locality of L. princeps kurdistanica; this is not true.

  Доронин, И.В. & Доронина, М.А. (2020) -  Обзор типовых экземпляров ящериц (Sauria: Lacertidae), описанных Георгием Федоровичем Суховым. -  Труды Зоологического института РАН, 324 (4): 506-524.    

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  В работе приводится информация о современных местах хранения типовых экземпляров таксонов ящериц, описанных герпетологом Георгием Федоровичем Суховым (1899–1942), по состоянию на 1 июля 2020 г.: Lacerta agilis tauridica Suchow, 1927 (лектотип [обозначается здесь] – ZISP No 12620, па- ралектотипы – ZISP No 3226, 3235, 3238, 3856, 10366в, 12230, 12231, 12520, 12619, 14110, NMNH No 2152 (14599–14600), 2163 (14621–14622), 2172 (14705–14712), 2184 (14772–14773), 2184 (14774–14777), 2188 (14872–14893), 2279 (15983–16037), 2279 (16038–16074), 2518 (16621)), Lacerta boemica Suchow, 1929 (лек- тотип [обозначается здесь] – ZISP No 30363, паралектотипы – ZISP No 16210, 30358-30362, 30364-30398.1, NHM No 1960.1.4.26–30, 1965.337–342, NMNO без No), Apathya cappadocica urmiana Lantz et Suchow, 1934 (голотип – ZISP No 12657b, паратипы – ZISP No 11444, 12657а, с, 12658), Lacerta princeps kurdistanica Suchow, 1936 (голотип – ZISP No 11441.1, паратипы – ZISP No 11440, 11441.2–4, 11442, 11443). Показано, что в соответствии с «Международным кодексом зоологической номенклатуры» (4-е издание) назва- ние Lacerta agilis caucasica следует считать младшим первичным омонимом Lacerta caucasica Méhely, 1909, а обозначение Калябиной-Хауф с соавторами неотипа L. a. tauridica должно быть отвергнуто. Приводится история описания таксонов и список публикаций ученого (12 статей, изданных в 1927– 1948 гг.). Уточнены локалитеты, коллекторы и даты сбора типовых экземпляров. Андерсон и Шмид с соавторами указали, что Айзельт ограничил типовое местонахождение L. princeps kurdistanica, что не соответствует действительности.

• Kafimola, S. & Azimi, M. & Saberi-Pirooz, R. & Ilgaz, C. & Kashani, G.M. & Kapli, P. & Ahmadzadeh, F. (2023) -  Diversification in the mountains: Evolutionary history and molecular phylogeny of Anatolian rock lizards. -  Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 180 (2023) 107675 (early view) 9 pp.     

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  Mountains play a key role in forming biodiversity by acting both as barriers to gene flow among populations and as corridors for the migration of populations adapted to the conditions prevailing at high elevations. The Anatolian and the Zagros Mountains are located in the Alpine-Himalayan belt. The formation of these mountains has influenced the distribution and isolation of the animal population since the late Cenozoic. Apathya is a genus of lacertid lizards distributed along these mountains with two species, i.e., Apathya cappadocica and Apathya yassujica. The taxonomy status of lineages within the genus is complicated. In this study, we tried to collect extensive samples from throughout the distribution range, especially within the Zagros Mountains. Also, we used five genetic markers, two mitochondrial (COI and Cyt b) and three nuclear (C-mos, NKTR, and MCIR), to resolve the phylogenetic relationships within the genus and explain several possible scenarios that shaped multiple genetic structures. The combination of results in the current study indicated eight well-support monophyletic lineages that separated to two main groups; group 1 including A. c. cappadocica, A. c. muhtari and A. c. wolteri, group 2 contains four regional clades Turkey, Urmia, Baneh and Ilam, and finally a single clade belonging to the species A. yassujica. In contrast to previous studies, Apathya cappadocica urmiana was divided into four clades and three clades were recognized within Iranian boundaries. The clades have dispersed from Anatolia to adjacent regions in the south of Anatolia and the western Zagros Mountains. According to the evidence generated in this study this clade is paraphyletic. Based on our assumption, orogeny activities and also climate fluctuations in Middle Miocene and Pleistocene have influenced to formation of lineages. In this study we revisit the taxonomy of the genus and demonstrate that the species diversity was substantially underestimated. Our findings suggest that each of the eight clades corresponding to subspecies and distinct geographic regions deserve to be promoted to species level.