Taxonomic evaluation of the “irani–schidlovskii” species complex (Rodentia: Cricetidae) in the Middle East: a morphological and genetic combination

An overview of the studies on the sets of chromosomes in Palaearctic mammals is presented, conducted by Russian karyologists who have made important contributions to the improvement of mammalian taxonomy. As for many mammalian species the process of speciation could have been associated with variability in the number and morphology of chromosomes, karyotypes are often used as diagnostic features of morphologically similar cryptic species (twin species). The prospects of cytogenetic research in the field of speciation are discussed, in particular, the selection-based reinforcement of reproductive isolation initiated by chromosomal rearrangements.

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Geometric Morphometrics of the Cranium and Mandible in Social Voles of the “Guentheri” Group (Arvicolinae: Sumeriomys)

Zorenko

Kagainis

Golenishchev

et al. 2023

Diversity

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We analyzed the cranium dorsal projection and the mandible lateral projection in bone specimens from five Microtus guentheri and Microtus hartingi forms by geometric morphometrics (GM) methods (generalized Procrustes analysis, principal component analysis, canonical variance analysis, and discriminant function analysis). Analyses of the linear size and shapes of the cranium and lower jaw showed clear-cut differentiation among the forms into an eastern cluster and western cluster, matching M. guentheri and M. hartingi, respectively. Differences were revealed both between two subspecies of M. guentheri and between the subspecies M. h. strandzensis and Rhodopean M. hartingi, whose subspecies status has not yet been determined. M. h. ankaraensis bone specimens differ in many parameters of GM from the studied European specimens and to a lesser extent from M. g. guentheri and M. g. philistinus. Calculated morpho-ecological indices of the lower jaw revealed significant differences among all these forms, thereby possibly indicating adaptation of each to a specific habitat and dietary habits. Because of the emergence of impenetrable barriers for voles (the Anatolian Diagonal in the east and the Dardanelles and Bosporus in the west), the resultant vole groups have evolved independently.

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Taxonomic evaluation of the “irani–schidlovskii” species complex (Rodentia: Cricetidae) in the Middle East: a morphological and genetic combination

Cited by 3 publications

References 34 publications

A comparative evaluation of cytochrome-b diversity of the endemic Anatolian vole species Microtus dogramacii (Rodentia: Cricetidae) with the �guentheri� group of voles and Microtus socialis

A comparative evaluation of cytochrome-b diversity of the endemic Anatolian vole species Microtus dogramacii (Rodentia: Cricetidae) with the �guentheri� group of voles and Microtus socialis

Mammalian Cytogenetics and Its Contribution to the Development of Chromosomal Diagnoses and the Species System

Geometric Morphometrics of the Cranium and Mandible in Social Voles of the “Guentheri” Group (Arvicolinae: Sumeriomys)

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