Anthropogenic Translocations Could Explain Contrasting Patterns of Genetic Variation in the Historically Traded Western Mediterranean Pond Turtle, Mauremys Leprosa (testudines: Geoemydidae)

The Mediterranean Basin has been subjected to geological and paleoclimatic events that shaped the biogeographic patterns of many thermophilic taxa. Alongside these natural events, humans have also played a significant role in shaping the distribution of many species, especially those that have long been culturally related to humans. We combined multilocus genetic and environmental data to assess the relative role of climate and geographic barriers on the biogeography of the Western Mediterranean Pond turtle, Mauremys leprosa, a chelonian widely distributed throughout the Iberian Peninsula and the Maghreb region that has been historically traded by humans. Our results show (1) high levels of genetic diversity and structure within populations located across the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, and (2) shallow patterns of contemporary genetic structure among Iberian populations. Moreover, we identified one individual in the Iberian Peninsula that likely originated from a population situated across the Atlas Mountains. The absence of genetic structure across the Iberian Peninsula may result from a combination of a recent colonization of M. leprosa from Morocco and the mixing effects of human-mediated translocations within Iberia. We emphasize the importance of genetic characterization for the conservation of species that have been historically traded by humans, as is the case for chelonians.