Comparative population genetics and phylogeography of two lacertid lizards (Eremias argus and E. brenchleyi) from China

► Eremias brenchleyi had followed a stepping-stone model of dispersal. ► The split between the two species occurred during the late Miocene-Pliocene. ► Haplotypes of E. brenchleyi could be divided into four haplotype groups by the Taihang Mts and the Yellow River. ► Species-specific conservation strategies should be adopted in the area where the two lizards coexist.