Ercüment Çolak

Golden hamsters are nocturnal in captivity but diurnal in nature

Daily activity rhythms are nearly universal among animals and their specific pattern is an adaptation of each species to its ecological niche. Owing to the extremely consistent nocturnal patterns of activity shown by golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) in the laboratory, this species is a prime model for studying the mechanisms controlling circadian rhythms. In contrast to laboratory data, we discovered that female hamsters in the wild were almost exclusively diurnal. These results raise many questions about the ecological variables that shape the activity patterns in golden hamsters and the differences between laboratory and field results.

A STUDY ON KARYOTYPIC EVOLUTION OF THE GENUS SPALAXGÜLDENSTAEDT, 1770 (MAMMALIA: RODENTIA) IN TURKEY

..The subterranean Spalacidae probably originated from a muroid-<:ricetoid stock in Asia Minor or vicinity, in Oligocene times, about 30-40 Ma, and adaptively radiated underground in the Balkans, steppic Russia, and Middle East, extending into North Africa (Savic and Nevo, 1990). Nevo et al. (1994) have tested the longitudinal north-south Israeli evolutionary model, proposed by Nevo (1991), of positive association of diploid chromosome number (2n) and genetic diversity with aridity stress in Spalacidae in Turkey. They showed that in Turkish Spalax, speciation and adaptation, revealed in Israel by 2n and heterozygosity, H, positively carreiate with aridity stress and climatic unpredictability. 2n values and H increase toward the ecologically harsh, arid, climatically unpredictable, and geologically young central Anatolian Plateau from the west, north, south, and east, repeating from all directions the pattem seen in Israe1. However, while variation in the Israeli speciational trend involves only four chromosomal species, ranging from north to south (Nevo, 1991), chromosomal speciation in Turkey is centripetal, involving about 30 taxonomic groups ofspecific rank defined by a combination of chromosome number,

Karyological comparison of populations of the Spalax leucodon Nordmann, 1840 superspecies (Rodentia: Spalacidae) in Turkey

Abstract One hundred and seventy-seven specimens of Spalax leucodon Nordmann, 1840 from 41 localities in Turkey were examined for their karyologicalfeatures. Nine karyotypic forms were recorded. 2n= 50, NF= 72, NFa= 68 was recorded from Bayburt, Erzincan, Giresun, and Rize, 2n= 54, NF= 74, NFa= 70 from Kırıkkale, 2n= 52, NF= 70, NFa= 66 from Bolu, and 2n= 56, NF= 72, NFa= 68 and 2n= 60, NF= 78, NFa= 74 from Isparta. Based on an extensive literature review, it was shown that the karyotypic form 2n= 60 has the widest distribution in the subspecies cilicicus, while the form 2n= 50 has the widest distribution in the subspecies nehringi. The subspecies nehringi was also found in the area of Kırıkkale in Inner Anatolia for the first time. A map of all the karyotypes is given, based on literature data and our own results.

Phylogeny of species and cytotypes of mole rats (Spalacidae) in Turkey inferred from mitochondrial cytochrome b gene sequences

Abstract. We described the genetic variation of cytochrome b gene sequences of blind mole rats in Turkey. We examined 47 individuals belonging to nine cytotypes of three superspecies Nannospalax leucodon, N. xanthodon and N. ehrenbergi in the 402bp gene sequence of cytochrome b. Phylogenetic analyses showed that relationships between cytotypes were well supported, but deeper divergence between species showed insignificant relationships. Cytotypes of N. xanthodon with low diploid number of chromosomes from western Turkey formed a monophyletic group distinct from the populations with higher number of chromosomes (2n = 56-60). The monophyly of N. xanthodon was supported with respect to N. leucodon (2n = 56) in the Bayesian and maximum likelihood phylogenies. The divergence between two analyzed cytotypes of N. ehrenbergi (2n = 52, 2n = 56) was 9.4 %, and the Kilis cytotype (2n = 52) appeared as the basal branch of the whole analysed dataset. N. ehrenbergi cytotypes were paraphyletic and they formed unsupported relationships with previously described N. galili (2n = 52), N. golani (2n = 54), N. carmeli (2n = 58) and N. judaei (2n = 60) from Israel. The results of this study showed that the Nannospalax species complex most likely represents more species than currently recognized, especially in N. xanthodon. We suggest that cytotypes of N. xanthodon and N. ehrenbergi from Turkey should be investigated in detail as possible candidates for being separate species.

Contribution to the distribution and karyology of some vespertilionid bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) from Turkey

Abstract New records from 41 localities are given for six species of vespertilionid bats, namely Myotis myotis (Borkhausen, 1797), M. blythii (Tomes, 1857), M. capaccinii (Bonaparte, 1837), Pipistrellus pipistrellus (Schreber, 1774), P. kuhlii (Kühl, 1819) and Barbastella barbastellus (Schreber, 1774). The diploid number of chromosomes (2n) and the total numbers of autosomal arms (NFa) were determined as 2n= 44, NFa= 50 for M. myotis, M. blythii, M. capaccinii, P. pipistrellus, P. kuhlii and as 2n= 32, NFa= 50 for B. barbastellus.

On the status and distribution of the Striped Hyaena, Hyaena hyaena, in Turkey

Abstract A review of literature records, many of them from the 19th and early 20th centuries, shows that the Striped Hyaena, Hyaena hyaena, has apparently always been rare in Turkey. The natural distribution area extends from the southern Marmara region (Lake İznik, Uludağ) over the Dardanelles and along the Aegean and Mediterranean coast to south-east Anatolia. Historical records from inner and eastern Anatolia are not considered as reliable, and the Turkish population has apparently never had a direct link with the populations living in the Caucasus. Recent field surveys show that the species still survives in Turkey, even in some western parts. Over the last 25 years, records are only available from a few areas; they come from the regions of Çan (Çanakkale province), Bergama (Kozak Yaylası and Yuntdağ area), Bafa Gölü/Milas, Antalya (Termessos National Park), Bolkar Mountains, Amanos mountains (Hatay province), and south-east Anatolia. The most spectacular record is from Altınözü in the Amanos mountains, where a local hunter trapped four individuals between 2002 and 2004, which were kept for some time in captivity before they were released again into the wild. The species is now highly threatened in Turkey and is on the verge of extinction, although our recent field work shows that still undiscovered populations may exist and that the total population, albeit fragmented, may be higher than hitherto thought. The paper includes the description of habitats and of museum specimens.

On the taxonomic status of Meriones tristrami Thomas, 1892 (Rodentia: Gerbillinae) in Turkey

Abstract The taxonomic status and diagnostic characteristics of Meriones tristrami blackleri, M. t. lycaon, M. t. intraponticus, M. t. bodenheimeri and M. t. bogdanovi are discussed, based on material collected in Turkey. According to biomeţric and morphological comparisons, the specimens from southeastern and eastern Anatolia were found to be closer to bodenheimeri and bogdanovi than to lycaon. The white tail tip of blackleri, the dorsal colour and baculum shape of lycaon, the white incisors of intraponticus, and the short hind foot and the ear length of bodenheimeri are characteristics that distinguish these taxa from one other. The diploid number of chromosomes is 72 in M. tristrami. However, the fundamental number is 76 in blackleri and 82 in lycaon, intraponticus and bodenheimeri.

Macro-anatomical and karyological features of two blind mole rat subspecies (Rodentia: Spalacidae) from Turkey.

The morphometric and karyological analyses of 52 specimens belonging to the two subspecies of Nannospalax leucodon were examined from 14 localities in Turkey. Five karyotypic forms were recorded (2n = 60, the total numbers of chromosomal arms (NF) = 74, the numbers of autosomal arms (NFa) = 70; 2n = 60, NF = 76, NFa = 72; 2n = 60, NF = 82, NFa = 78; 2n = 56, NF = 72, NFa = 68; 2n = 38, NF = 74, NFa = 70). The morphological features of two subspecies were studied using both numerical taxonomy and traditional methods. Thirty skull measurements and four baculum measurements were subjected to discriminant function analysis to find morphometric criteria allowing subspecies identification. Two subspecies were clearly separated from each other by macroanatomical characterictics and numeric characteristics. The first upper molar has four alveoli cubicles in young specimens of Nannospalax leucodon anatolicus, while M1 has 1 cubicle in Nannospalax leucodon cilicicus. In the western subspecies (N. l. anatolicus, 2n = 38), urethra openness is surrounded by three lobes. However, in the eastern subspecies (N. l. cilicicus, 2n = 60), there are two lateral lobes.

The karyotype of Apodemus agrarius (Pallas, 1771) (Mammalia: Rodentia) in Turkey

Abstract The karyotypes of seven specimens of Apodemus agrarius from İğneada in Thrace (European Turkey) were examined. The results showed that the diploid number of chromosomes is 2n = 48, the number of autosomal arms NFa = 56, and the fundamental number NF = 58. The X chromosome is large acrocentric and the Y chromosome is small acrocentric. It was found that one subtelocentric pair in the chromosome set of A. agrarius is different from that of European populations.

On the karyology and morphology of Sciurus anomalus (Mammalia: Rodentia) in Turkey

Abstract Morphological and karyological parameters, including the baculum and phallus, of Sciurus anomalus from Turkey were examined. The diploid number of chromosomes is 2n = 40, the fundamental number is NF = 80, the number of autosomal arms is NFa = 76. The X chromosome is a large submetacentric, and the Y chromosome is a small submetacentric.