3D morphology of pharyngeal dentition in barbin fishes (Pisces: Teleostei: Cyprinidae): Implications for taxonomy, phylogeny and palaeobiogeography

Cyprinidae is the largest fish family in the world and one of the most widespread in freshwater and shows high endemism to the drainage systems, which they inhabite. Their distribution in water basins depends on freshwater connections and, therewith, reflects the palaeogeographic development as well as the history of the drainage systems of this area. Thus, the freshwater fishes are considered as a proper model for palaeo(bio)geographic and evolutionary studies. These studies can be possible only if the fossil remains are identified at species level. However, the recent comparative material as well as the methods for species level taxonomy of isolated bones and teeth of cyprinid fishes are limited. Here, I successfully provide a tool/methodology for species level identification of isolated pharyngeal teeth of barbine fishes by applying the analysis of the 3D morphology. By applying this methodology to isolated pharyngeal teeth of extant ten Capoeta species as well as to the fossil record of Capoeta, I recorded: - phylogenetic significance of pharyngeal tooth morphology and its insight into evolutionary scenario of the genus; - the evolution of Capoeta was possibly represented by a species-flock model in a huge unrecognized palaeolake system in the present-day Armenian Highland at 4Ma; - This method has great potential to disentangle the evolutionary history for other Barbini groups

3D morphology of pharyngeal dentition of the genus Capoeta (Cyprinidae): Implications for taxonomy and phylogeny

Capoeta is a herbivorous cyprinid fish genus, widely distributed in water bodies of Western Asia. Recent species show a distinct biogeographic pattern with endemic distribution in large fluvial drainage basins. As other cyprinids, the species of this genus are characterized by the presence of the pharyngeal bone with pharyngeal teeth. Despite this, the detailed morphology of the pharyngeal teeth, its interspecific and topologic variations, and the importance for taxonomy and phylogeny of the genus Capoeta are still not established. For the first time, a detailed comprehensive study of the pharyngeal dentition of 10 Capoeta species has been provided. The morphologic study of the pharyngeal dentition bases on the 3D microtomography and follows the purpose to evaluate the potential taxonomic and phylogenetic signals of these elements, as well as to study interspecific and topologic variations of the pharyngeal teeth. In this study, we propose a new methodology to categorize the studied pharyngeal teeth in 18 shape classes. The results of this study show that the detailed 3D morphology of the pharyngeal teeth is a useful tool for the identification of isolated teeth at the generic and/or specific level and that in certain cases, the tooth position in the teeth rows can be identified. Additionally, the preliminary analysis shows that the morphology of the pharyngeal teeth provides a potential phylogenetic signal. Both these patterns are very important for the taxonomy of cyprinid fishes and especially can be applied to fossil records

Possible species-flock scenario for the evolution of the cyprinid genus Capoeta (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) within late Neogene lake systems of the Armenian Highland

We studied 4 Ma old isolated pharyngeal teeth from lake sediments of Çevirme (Tekman Palaeolake, Erzurum Province). Based on shape characters defined for 3D models of modern species, we found that the Pliocene lake constitutes sympatric occurrence of four Capoeta species (C. cf. umbla, C. cf. baliki, C. cf. sieboldi and C. sp. sevangi/capoeta), whose modern relatives belong to a monophyletic clade inhabiting today three different drainage systems of this region (Euphrates River, Kura River and Black Sea). We interpreted this high local diversity of closely related species in terms of the species-flock model. The Tekman palaeolake was a part of an unrecognized extended late Miocene to Pliocene palaeolake system in the present- day Armenian Highland, which has been disrupted by Pliocene tectonic activities. Surface uplift of the Armenian Highland contributed to the very characteristic biogeographic distribution and endemism of Capoeta in West Asian drainage systems. Thus, we proposed a species-flock scenario for the evolution and dispersal of the cyprinid genus Capoeta in a huge unrecognized palaeolake system in the present-day Armenian Highland

THE NECESSITY OF INTRODUCTION THE DRUG INSURANCE SYSTEM IN ARMENIA

The increase in the cost of the medicinal component of the treatment, the spread of chronic diseases, and the maintenance of socio-economic inequality in access to health services require the provision of adequate access to medicines. These issues create prerequisites for the improvement of the state health policy and, first, the drug supply system, which is an integral part of the treatment process. The financing of healthcare in Armenia is mainly formed from budget allocations and out of pocket expenditures of the population. Reducing the financial burden on the state and ensuring the rational use of drugs contributes to improving the health of the population. The implementation of a drug insurance scheme, which partially or fully cover the cost of drugs in RA, is one of the solutions for resolving the issue of access to medicines. This article studies the problems of financing healthcare system in Armenia and highlights the need of introduction a drug insurance system in Armeni

Perceptions of the EU’s Power in the Eastern Partnership Region: the Case of Armenia

Recent changes in the European Union’s (EU) regional and global environment triggered academic revision of the concept of the European Union international actorness. A trend is emerging to analyse the EU through the prism of geopolitics, which is often presented as an opposition to the dominating Normative Power Europe approach. This article argues for a more nuanced and comprehensive approach to the EU’s power. By applying Barnett and Duvall’s (2005) taxonomy of power to EU foreign policy analysis, the study focuses on compulsory, institutional, structural and productive types of power employed by the EU towards Armenia. In a second step, it is contended that since power is a relational concept, it can be better accounted for when analysed from the point of view of policy receiver. To this end, two questions are addressed: how are the different types of power exercised by the EU in the Eastern Partnership region perceived in Armenia? And what explains these perceptions? The findings show that all four types of power are perceived as seriously limited in Armenia, institutional power being the most successful.status: publishe

Нормативная роль ЕС в Армении: факторы восприятия (Normative role of the EU in Armenia: factors of perception)

A number of studies have recently emphasized that while criteria of effectiveness of the European foreign policy have often focused on the EU foreign policy making, less attention has been paid to the analysis of policy adoption on the ground. In other words, a receiving side of the European Union foreign policy has not been studied sufficiently. This article aims to address this gap by looking at how the EU foreign policy narrative is perceived in Armenia and how this perception affects its effectiveness. In particular, the article first traces the European Union’s narrative in the areas of democratization, trade and security. It then proceeds with the analysis of how the EU’s narrative is being received by Armenian political elites, by drawing on official documentation, semi-structured interviews and survey data. The April 2017 elections programmes, as well as opinion polls data are also analyzed. Several obstacles to the image formation of the European Union as a stable and reliable partner are identified, in particular: a weak degree of awareness among general public and the expert community about projects funded by the EU in Armenia; the absence of a monitoring system for the funds invested which gives the ground for corruption development, already widespread; proliferation of bureaucratic apparatus. Despite the fact that the efforts made by the European Union to support democratic reforms, economic development, peaceful resolution of conflicts are recognized as important, their effect is not obvious to the expert community and political elite. At the same time, the country’s institutional development is directly related to its ability to impede tensions in the region and the resumption of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh. The April 2017 elections demonstrated that there is a distinct urge for a strong Armenian state that would unite not only the population of the country, but also Armenian diaspora and the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. In this respect, for most experts and government officials, the importance of cooperation with Russia and its diplomatic role as an intermediary in this conflict is indisputable. On the other hand, the transition to the concept of a “principled pragmatism” in the EU neighborhood policy corresponds with the continuing tendency in Armenia for a multi-vector foreign policy and selective attitude to cooperation with various partners.status: publishe