We performed a phylogeographic analysis of mitochondrial DNA in the edible dormouse, Glis glis (Linnaeus, 1766), including 15 known haplotypes obtained across large part the European species’ range along with a fragment of the cytochrome b gene of one specimen from Alonissos island (Sporades archipelago, Greece). The haplotype of this specimen did not cluster with any other haplotypes, which were grouped into four lineages. The genetic divergence (mean K2P distance) between the Greek specimen and these four lineages, comprised between 3.3 % and 5.9 %, was comparable to the genetic divergence found between the aforesaid lineages (1.9-6.4 %). Accordingly, the specimen most likely falls into a new, never described before, Mediterranean mitochondrial lineage of G. glis.
Hybridization is particularly widespread in birds and can affect species status and recovery. The common quail Coturnix coturnix is a protected game species that has undergone significant population decrease due to habitat changes. The release of Japanese quail C. japonica and or hybrids for restocking has been occurring since the 1970’s. Both species have not developed reproductive isolating mechanisms and hybridization is occurring. Species distinction based on morphology and male callings is difficult. In this work cytochrome b gene and five microsatellite loci were used with the aim of establishing an identification test for quails sampled in Portugal. Cytochrome b gene revealed to be of promising use to identify the quail maternal lineage. Success in species assignment with the studied microsatellite loci was moderate to identify samples with suspicion of being hybrids with common quail maternal lineage.
Between 2003 and 2006, almost 80 localities in all main hydrological systems in Albania were sampled and data on the distribution of loach fishes gathered. The spined loach Cobitis ohridana Karaman, 1928 was found to be a common species in Albania, occurring in most of its river systems, from the Ohrid-Drin-Shkodra system in the east and north to the River Vjosë basin in the south. Cobitis meridionalis Karaman, 1924 occurs in Lake Prespa, while a spined loach with mtDNA of Cobitis sensu stricto origin is present at least in the Ohrid-Drin-Shkodra system. The most common stone loach in Albania was found to be Oxynoemacheilus pindus (Economidis, 2005). It was caught in the basins of the rivers Vjosë, Seman, Shkumbin and Erzen. Barbatula sturanyi (Steindachner, 1892) was recorded in the River Black Drin.
The common gudgeon Gobio gobio (L.) has a great phenotypic plasticity being one of the most variable fish species in Europe. In the Iberian Peninsula it has been considered to be an introduced species. However, recent publications have considered that gudgeon populations from different basins of the Iberian Peninsula are native. in this work we tried to clarify the status of Iberian populations by means of molecular methods. thirty-two specimens of common gudgeon from several localities placed in six different Iberian and South French basins (Duero, Ebro, Tajo, Nansa, Bidasoa and Nivelle) were analysed. We reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships between the Iberian gudgeon populations using the whole cytochrome b gene sequence (1141 bp). Moreover, one specimen of G. gobio from the Danube basin and two specimens of Ramanogobio (R. ciscaucasicus and R. uranoscopus) were also included in the study. Our data confirmed the monophyly of the Iberian-French populations analysed and indicated a high genetic differentiation with respect to the common gudgeon populations from Central Europe. However, our results also indicated a very close genetic relationship among the populations of different Iberian basins, showing low genetic distances between them. The absence of population structure among the Iberian populations of G. gobio seems to be due to human activity.
Black rats (Rattus rattus) are native to the Indian subcontinent but have now colonized most continents and islands following human movements and international trade. They are involved in the circulation and transmission to humans of many zoonotic agents as well as in massive damage to food stocks and native biodiversity in the regions they have settled. This study investigates the genetic diversity and possible origins of black rats from Benin, West Africa. We sequenced the complete mitochondrial cytochrome b gene in 90 individuals from nine localities in Benin. These sequences were subsequently compared to 390 other cytochrome b haplotypes from individuals from various European, Asian, American and African localities. Nucleotide polymorphism analysis, haplotype network and maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree reconstructions showed low mitochondrial diversity in black rats from Benin. Our results also suggest at least two distinct introduction events: one introduction probably occurred during the spice trade (15th-17th century) through the Indies Road connecting Europe to Asia. Other introduction events could have occurred more recently following the intensification of globalized trade from the eighteenth century, and onwards.
Seven populations (Oľšava/Hornád R., Oľšava/Topľa R., Ublianka R., Ondava R., Ipeľ R., Malý Dunaj R. and Vlára R.) of Balcan spined loach were subjected to phylogenetic analysis based on variability of the cytochrome b gene and mitochondrial specific marker. They were separated in to five groups but these groups were represented by specimens from different populations. Genetic distances among populations and among groups were quite low. Subsequently, analysis of relations among our groups and sublineages of Danubian-Balkanian complex of Sabanejewia was made. the first four groups were genetically close to sublineage III, while the fifth one to the sublineage IV. These findings agree with the conclusion about conspecificity of analysed Danubian-Dniester populations belonged to monotypic S. balcanica. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the most suitable populations for the restoration of this species in the Bečva River are populations dwelling the Ipeľ and Vlára rivers.
Inter-population variability within Sabanejewia populations from the western Balkans, and their phylogenetic position in comparison to other European populations were investigated. Of 79 samples analysed, 51 unique haplotypes were identified. Network analysis divided thirteen populations from five river basins into two clusters: cluster I was composed of populations from the Vardar drainage and tributaries of the neighbouring River Morava (River Danube basin), while cluster II contained the River Timok (eastern Serbia) and all the River Sava populations. The only locality that housed haplotypes of both clusters was the River Kutinska reka in the upper Morava basin. When compared with the haplotypes reported in former studies, both clusters fell within the ‘Danubian-Balkanian complex’. Cluster II was included in the most heterogeneous sub-lineage S. montana – S. bulgarica – S. balcanica (III), while cluster I was related to the sub-lineages S. doiranica – S. balcanica (II) and S. balcanica (VI). Recently published haplotypes from the Croatian Sava (rivers Petrinjčica and Rijeka) and Drava (rivers Drava and Voćinska) basins, as well as Czech and Slovak individuals from the Danube and Tisza river basins were included. The River Drava showed the same population subdivision as the River Kutinska reka.
Phylogenetic relations among five species of Hipposideridae and seven species of Rhinolophidae including one endemic species (Rhinolophus rex) were examined by partially sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (528 bp). Analyses of the cytochrome b sequences of Hipposideridae and Rhinolophidae suggest that each formed a monophyletic group. All phylogenetic analyses indicate that Aselliscus should remain as a genus within Hipposideridae, with the mean percentage sequence differences (16.43%) and transition: transversion ratios (2.032) between Aselliscus and Hipposideros. Within Hipposideros, H. armiger shows close affinity to H. larvatus although it possesses superficial similarity morphological characters to H. pratti. Genetic distance values suggest that H. larvatus and H. armiger diverged from each other approximately 1.7–4.3 million years ago, and H. pratti diverged from the larvatus-armiger clade approximately 2.1–5.2 million years ago.
In this study we are adding further information to phylogeography of Pipistrellus pipistrellus complex by discovery of isolated mitochondrial lineages in Europe, from the island of Crete (Greece) and central Mediterranean (Sicily, Corsica) and by adding new data about geographic distribution of clades within the complex. We performed phylogeographic study with aid of partial sequence of cytochrome b and with focus to the radiation centre of this group in the Mediterranean Basin. Within the clade P. pygmaeus s.l., we have discovered isolated lineage from Crete, which is sister taxon to P. hanaki from Libya. We have detected the occurrence of P. pygmaeus s.str. in northern Iran. In the clade P. pipistrellus s.l. we have discovered isolated cluster represented by populations from Sicily and Corsica, with phylogenetic relation to Moroccan lineage. This is a first evidence of separated phylogroup within the complex from central Mediterranean. We refer the occurrence of P. pipistrellus s.str. from the island of Cyprus. These data represent further arguments for importance of the Mediterranean region in phylogeny of the P. pipistrellus species complex. Proposed allopatric speciation scenario considers the role of environmental fragmentation during the Messinian Salinity Crisis, strengthen by preference of mountain habitats in Mediterranean populations. The species status of Cretan and central Mediterraenan forms is also discussed.
he oriental weather loach Misgurnus anguillicaudatus (Teleostei: Cobitidae) inhabits the waters of East Asia including Japanese Islands. The Japanese population of M. anguillicaudatus includes two major mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) clades, but their evolutionary origin is unknown. In this study, we conducted phylogeographic analyses of M. anguillicaudatus that were based on mtDNA cytochrome b sequences to clarify the evolutionary origin of the two distinct mtDNA clades. This newly obtained data were integrated with the mtDNA sequence data obtained in previous studies and reanalysed. The results showed that one major clade originated because of mtDNA introgression from a loach of the genus Cobitis. The geographic range of the populations carrying non-introgressed mtDNA tended to be limited to the peripheral areas of the Japanese Islands, whereas the range of the populations carrying introgressed mtDNA was spread over wide regions of the Japanese Islands. These distribution and divergence patterns suggested that M. anguillicaudatus populations carrying introgressed mtDNA have spread and replaced the range of populations carrying non-introgressed mtDNA.