سال:1388 | دوره: | شماره: |تعداد مقالات:7

The kutum (Rutilus frisii kutum) is one of the economically valuable species of Caspian Sea. Two different races of this fish exist in the Caspian Sea, the spring race and the autumn race. The aims of this study were to analysis the population genetic structure and genetic diversity among and between populations of these races based on microsatellite markers. For this purpose, 100 samples of adult kutum from two regions of Caspian Sea (Anzali Wetland and Shiroud River) were collected. DNA was extracted and 31 pair microsatellite primers were used for PCR and 10 made polymorphic patterns. In this study 191 alleles were observed totally. The maximum numbers of alleles (18) were found in two loci (Ca1 and Ca3) and the minimum number of alleles (2) was found in MFW1 locus. The differences between both races were not statistically significant (P>0.05), neither for average number of alleles per locus nor for observed heterozygosities. The calculated Fst and Rst between two races was 0.056 and 0.15 which shows that the genetic difference was significant (P<0.01). Spring race in MFW1 locus and autumn race in Lid1 locus were at Hardy-Weinberg equation but not in other loci in both races. The genetic distance was 0.407 which indicating the greatest genetic distance between the two studied races. The data generated in this study showed that the spring and autumn races of kutum in two region of southern part of Caspian Sea are two independent populations.

The Persian Brook Salamander, Batrachuperus persicus, an endemic amphibian species, is found in north and northwest of Iran (south and west of the Caspian Sea in Mazandaran and Ardabil Provinces). It has a limited range and its current situation is unknown. So, a survey was conducted from Oct.2006 to Nov.2007 to know more about conservation status, habitat future and threats based on field works in two most known habitats, Weyser, southeast of Chalus in Mazandaran province and Delmadeh village, southeast of Khalkhal in Ardabil province. In four times of visiting, the senior author just found four living salamanders. The result showed that most wild populations are threatened and even going into extinction. Habitat loss, severe droughts, deforestation and of people’s lack of knowledege are among the most important threats. It is evident that this species is vulnerable and deserves strict protection at national and international levels. It is clear that for a virtual conservation plan, we need to support the streams and habitats of this species in long time.

In this study a total of 29 Eremias strauchi strauchi specimens (10 males, 16 females and three juveniles), collected from different localities in northwest of Iran were examined.The study was based on morphological features including color pattern, morphometric measurements, pholidotic characters, as well as ecological and biological observations especially habitat, reproductive biology and distribution. Habitat features and new distribution localities were documented. Egg characters of Eremias strauchi strauchi such as shape, size, number and color are reported for the first time. Also, some other new information on this species has been given.

As a model for study of spermatogenesis durability in lizards, 75 specimens of the snakeeyed lizard, Ophisops elegans, were collected from western Iranian Plateau. The testes of each specimen were removed, during four years from March to October. Based on histological and statistical analyses, three phases were observed in Ophisops elegans as follows: (I) active phase that occurs from March to May, (II) transitional phase that occurs from June to July and finally (III) resting phase that occurs from August to October. Based on this study, spermatogenesis durability in O. elegans is less than five months. Spermatogenesis durability of O. elegans occurred in post-hibernation period and stopped in pre-hibernation.

The rapid fringe-toed lizard, Eremias velox, is widely distributed in the Iranian plateau and Central Asia. Several local morphotypes have so far been reported from different parts of its range, representing this taxon as a species complex. In an attempt to reveal phylogenetic relationships among various populations of this complex group, 37 specimens from 13 geographically distant localities in Iran and central Asia, covering most parts of its range, were sampled. Using Inter Simple Sequence Repeat amplification (ISSR-PCR) as a molecular marker, whole the nuclear genome of all specimens was screened. Phylogenetic analysis of the prepared data set successfully recovered seven major clades within the E. velox complex. Relationships among the major clades were highly resolved with remarkable statistical supports and well correspond to the geographic distribution of the populations. The reconstructed phylogeny implies that the clade as a whole has been originated in the Iranian plateau and expanded into central Asia before uplifting the Kopet-Dagh Mountains. It has then undergone a rapid cladogenesis in the latter area and produced several morphotypes. Within the Iranian clades two main groups could be defined, the foothill and highland dwellers and the open plane and desert dweller populations. The phylogenetic tree together with the estimated amounts of genetic distances among the independent lineages, provide good grounds for a fundamental revision of the taxonomic status of the Eremias velox complex.

Apodemus witherbyi is a species with wide distribution and geographic variation in the Iranian plateau. This species exists in syntopic, sympatric or parapatric with other four reported Sylvaemus species from Iran, i.e. A. hyrcanicus, A. uralensis, A. flavicolis and A. avicennicus. In this study 33 specimens from different localities in NW Iran were examined to study the taxonomic status and the intra-specific variation of the populations. The study was carried out based on the RFLP analysis of cytochrome b (mtDNA), as well as the morphological and morphometric analyses external, cranial and dental characters. The results reveal that all the specimens studied belong to a same species, A. witherbyi. Variation range of the morphometric characters and the frequency of the morphological traits are provided.

In order to determine the interspecific differences, morphometric characters of external, skull and tooth row variables- of different populations of fourteen species of Jird: Meriones persicus; M. rex; M. hurrianae; M. tristrami; M. tamariscinus; M. vinogradovi; M. meridianus; M. unguiculatus; M.crassus; M. shawi; M. sacramenti; M. libycus. M. zarudnyi and M. grandis were investigated in a wide range from North Africa to Central Asia. The material came from Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Israel, Morocco, Jordan, Russia, Mongolia, and Turkmenistan.Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed, euclidian distance between samples was computed and the corresponding distance matrix was used to represent a dendrogram and unrooted tree using the Minimum Spanning Tree algorithm.The length of hind foot, ear, mandible and auditory bulla are highly important in making distinction between the species. The ratio of tympanic bulla length to the length of skull shows the presence of two adaptive groups: One with relatively small tympanic bulla which include M. persicus, M. tristrami, M. vinogradovi, M. shawi, M. grandis, M. zarudnyi, M. rex, M. sacramenti and M. hurrianae and the other with relatively large bulla which include M. crassus, M. libycus, M. tamariscinus, M. meridianus and M. unguiculatus. The Minimum Spanning Tree method showed that all species of Jird could be regrouped into two branches: one with small, and the other with medium and large overall size. This difference may reflect geographic and adaptive statue of different species of Jirds.