There is a distinct local form of the marginated tortoise on the island, however, and that seems to have originated from a deliberate introduction by humans, perhaps by Greek or Roman landowners in the classical antiquity. While the local marginated tortoises show evidence of pronounced genetic drift and may thus justifiably regarded as a subspecies despite the absence of lineage sorting, the Greek tortoises of Sardinia are probably best considered an introduced population not yet worthy of taxonomic separation pending further research.
There is a distinct local form of the marginated tortoise on the island, however, and that seems to have originated from a deliberate introduction by humans, perhaps by Greek or Roman landowners in the classical antiquity. While the local marginated tortoises show evidence of pronounced genetic drift and may thus justifiably regarded as a subspecies despite the absence of lineage sorting, the Greek tortoises of Sardinia are probably best considered an introduced population not yet worthy of taxonomic separation pending further research.