Reyhan Çolak

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.

Electrophoretic comparison of blood-serum proteins of Spermophilus citellus and Spermophilus xanthoprymnus (Mammalia: Rodentia) in Turkey

Abstract Globulin and albumin blood-serum proteins of 22 specimens of Spermophilus collected from Anatolia and Thrace were examined using the SDS-PAGE technique. The globulin region of specimens from Thrace consisted of 8 electrophoretic bands, but of 9–10 bands in specimens from Anatolia. This slight difference does not allow these two groups to be separated at the species level, although the Thracian specimens had been attributed to S. citellus and the Anatolian population to S. xanthoprymnus.

BIOMETRIC AND GENETIC EVALUATION OF SPERMOPHILUS (MAMMALIA: RODENTIA) POPULATIONS IN WESTERN TURKEY

Three Spermophilus populations in western Turkey with two different karyotypic forms were analyzed biometrically (NTSYS) and genetically from their 16S rRNA sequence data. Two of these populations, from Turkish Thrace and southwest Anatolia, share the same chromosomal number of 2n = 40 but were previously considered to represent two closely related species, Spermophilus citellus and Spermophilus xanthoprymnus. Our study revealed a high degree of biometric and genetic similarity between these two populations, concluding that both belong to the same species, S. citellus. In contrast, the population from central Anatolia was identified as S. xanthoprymnus, which shows the diploid chromosomal number of 2n = 42 and distinct biometric and genetic differences. UPGMA cluster analysis established the close relationship between S. citellus (Turkish Thrace) and S. citellus (southwest Anatolia) with a distance of 0.84, and S. xanthoprymnus connected to this cluster with a distance of 0.93. The similar cluster was als...

Genetic variations of Turkish bank vole, Myodes glareolus (Mammalia: Rodentia) inferred from mtDNA

Abstract The bank vole, Myodes glareolus, lives in deciduous forests throughout the Palearctic region. In Turkey, this species is distributed only in northern Anatolia (the Black Sea region) where these forests exist. This study reveals genetic differentiation among bank vole populations based on two regions of mitochondrial DNA (cytochrome b and D-loop). Populations in northern Anatolia are divided into two genetic lineages (the “eastern” and “western Black Sea” lineages) by the Kızılırmak Valley. While the western Black Sea lineage is close to the Balkan lineage, in accordance with their geographical proximities, surprisingly, the Uludag lineage, also situated in Western Turkey appears related to the eastern Black Sea population. The divergence time analyses suggest a separation between the Balkan and Turkish groups around 0.26 Mya, whereas the split between the eastern and western Black sea lineages appeared a little bit later (0.20 Mya). Our results suggest that regional refuges existed for this species in Turkey and that small-scale habitat fragmentations led to genetic differentiations between Myodes populations.

Allozyme variation in Rattus rattus (Rodentia: Muridae) in Turkey, with particular emphasis on the taxonomy

Abstract The Turkish black rat “Rattus rattus” shows variation in coat colour corresponding to the occurrence of three subspecies with intermediate colour stages: Rattus rattus rattus, Rattus r. alexandrinus and Rattus r. frugivorus. Turkish black rat populations were divided geographically into six sub-populations: Rr1= Northwest Anatolia, Rr2= Central Anatolia, Rr3= Eastern Mediterranean, Rr4= Western Mediterranean, Rr5= Turkish Thrace, and Rr6= Black Sea region. Genetic variation was assessed using twenty two isoenzyme systems. Seven of twenty-two loci (Pgm-1, Hk, Me-M, G3pdh, Gpdh-1, Gpi, Fum-1 ) were found to be polymorphic. The mean value of F ST is found to be 0.073, indicating 7.3 % genetic variation among groups and suggesting the existence of a moderate differentiation between sub-populations of the Turkish black rat. Overall mean heterozygosity (Ho= direct count) for sub-populations was Ho= 0.020, ranging from 0.008 to 0.031. Nei’s measure of genetic distance showed that Rr2 and Rr6 were the most identical and sub-populations Rr1 and Rr5 had diverged the most.