In order to describe the growth curves in Iranian Mehraban sheep, five non-linear mathematical equations (Brody, Negative exponential, Logistic, Gompertz and Von Bertalanffy) were used. The data set used in this study was obtained from the Agricultural Organization of Hamedan province and comprised 35,414 weight records of lambs which were collected from birth to 365 days of age during 1991-2011. Each model was fitted separately to body weight records of all lambs, male and female lambs and single and twin lambs using the NLIN and MODEL procedures in SAS. The models were tested for goodness of fit using adjusted coefficient of determination (R 2 adj), root mean square error (RMSE), Durbin-Watson statistic (DW), Akaike's information criterion (AIC) and Bayesian information criterion (BIC). The Brody model provided the best fit of growth curve in all lambs, male and female lambs and single and twin lambs due to the lower values of AIC and BIC than other models. The Logistic model provided the worst fit of growth curve for all lambs, male and female lambs and single and twin lambs. Evaluation of different growth equations used in this study indicated the potential of the non-linear functions for fitting body weight records of Mehraban sheep.
A total of over 100 accessions representing 11 species of Juniperus in Iran using multiple DNA regions were included in phylogenetic analyses. Analyses of four plastid intergenic spacers (petN-psbM, trnD-trnT, trnL-trnF, trnS-trnG) and nrDNA ITS sequences retrieved Juniperus in Iran as a monophyletic group with two clades corresponding to sections Juniperus and Sabina. Our data support the recognition of J. communis, J. deltoides, J. foetidissima, J. polycarpos var. polycarpos and var. turcomanica, J. sabina and J. seravschanica in Iran. Based on sequences from nrDNA ITS, plastid petN-psbM and single copy nuclear gene LHCA, specimens from the SE Iran that were previously considered to be a part of the J. excelsa complex were shown to be J. seravschanica. Samples from NE Iran were found to be J. polycarpos var. turcomanica and specimens from NW Iran were shown to be J. polycarpos var. polycarpos. Plants belonging to the J. excelsa complex from SW Iran appear to be of hybrid origin between J. polycarpos from N Iran and J. seravschanica from SE Iran. None of the Juniperus samples from Iran were found to be J. excelsa s str., as compared with typical samples from Greece. The sequence data from nrDNA ITS, plastid petN-psbM, trnD-trnT, trnL-trnF, trnS-trnG and single copy nuclear genes (LHCA4, maldehy, myb, CnAIP3 and 4CL) were utilized in this study to identify Iranian samples R, U, K as J. seravschanica.
Previous studies of nrDNA (nuclear DNA) of Juniperus seravschanica indicated its nuclear DNA (ITS) was from an ancestor of J. polycarpos. However, analysis of cpDNA (chloroplast DNA) suggested the taxon had derived its chloroplast from an ancestor of J. foetidissima. That study has been viewed as putative, because the ITS region is sometimes unreliable for the detection of ancestral hybrids due to concerted evolution and lineage sorting. The recent availability of several single copy nuclear genes (SCNGs) with primers specifically designed for Juniperus presented an opportunity to fully investigate this case of putative chloroplast capture. Three phylogenetic analyses using five SCNGs (LHCA4, maldehy, myb, CnAIP3 and 4CL), ITS region, and four cpDNAs (petN- psbM, trnD-trnT, trnL-trnF and trnS-trnG) were performed on J. seravschanica, as well as other members of the J. excelsa complex: J. excelsa, J. polycarpos, and J. p. var. turcomanica. Analyses revealed incongruence between SCNGs, ITS region and cpDNA showing that J. seravschanica contains an ancestral J. foetidissima/ J. thruifera cp genome. In addition, the phylogenies indicate that the J. excelsa complex is composed of three distinct clades at the species level: J. excelsa, J. polycarpos and J. seravschanica and two varieties of J. polycarpos: J. p. var. polycarpos and J. p. var. turcomanica.
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