Türkiye’deki Pelodytes caucasicus Boulenger, 1896 (Anura: Pelodytidae) Ttürünün morfolojik çeşitliliği

The Parsley frog is represented by a single species from Anatolia which is called Pelodytes caucasicus. This species is categorized as a near threatened in the conservation list and has very limited distribution along the North East Black Sea and its populations have been poorly studied. In this study, we analyzed morphological variation of 59 specimens from different localities from Anatolia (Artvin; Karagöl, Rize; Çat and Trabzon; Hıdırnebi) unraveling the morphological differences among P. caucasicus populations. For this purpose, we used multivariate analysis such as principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA). Although there was considerable an overlap among morphological variation of localities according to PCA analysis, slight differences were observed in LDA analyses. In PCA analysis, the Head Width (HW), Head length (HL), and Snout vent length (SVL) are primarily discriminating characters for P. caucasicus. In LDA analysis, the NL, HW, and HL are primarily discriminating characters. This study will contribute to the limited data of P. caucasicus and enlarge the knowledge of geographic variation for P. caucasicus in AnatoliaAnadolu’da Pelodytidae familyasının Parsley kurbağası Pelodytes caucasicus adı ile bilinen tek türü dağılış göstermektedir. Bu tür koruma listelerine tehdite açık olarak kategorize edilir.Doğu Karadeniz boyunca kısıtlı yayılıma sahiptir ve populasyonları az çalışılmıştır. Bu çalışmada Anadolu’daki (Artvin; Karagöl, Rize; Çat ve Trabzon; Hıdırnebi) P. caucasicus populasyonları arasındaki morfolojik farklılıkları ortaya çıkarmak için 59 bireyin morfolojik çeşitliliği analiz edilmiştir. Bu amaç doğrultusunda temel bileşenler analizi (PCA) ve doğrusal ayırım analizi (LDA) gibi çoklu analizler kullanılmıştır. Temel bileşenler analizinde lokaliteler arası çakışmalar gözüksede doğrusal ayırım analizinde az da olsa farklılık gözlenmiştir. Temel bileşenler analizine göre Baş Genişliği (HW), Baş Uzunluğu (HL) ve Burun Ucu-Kloak Arası Mesafe (SVL) öncül ayırıcı karakterlerdir. Doğrusal ayırım analizine göre NL, HW ve HL öncül ayırıcı karakterlerdir. Bu çalışma P. caucasicus’un kısıtlı verisine katkı sağlamış ve türün coğrafik varyasyonu ile ilgili bilgiyi genişletmiştir

Variation in body size and age structure of stellagama stellio (L., 1758) (Reptilia: Agamidae) from Turkey

WOS: 000334089600008Age and body size of 81 Stellagama stellio (syn. Laudakia stellio) specimens from five regions of Turkey were studied using skeletochronology. Lines of arrested growth (LAGs) in phalanges were used to estimate the age. Snouth vent length (SVL) ranged between 90.05 - 133.14 mm (mean: 109.58 +/- 10.26) in males and 86.24 - 130.43 mm (mean: 105.83 +/- 10.68) in females. Age ranged between 2-9 (mean: 5.34 +/- 1.63) in females and 3-10 years (mean: 5.72 +/- 1.82) in males. We did not observe any significant difference in terms of age and SVL between sexes. Intersexual differences in body size were male-biased (SDI =-0.03) but this relation was not statistically significant. A significant difference between the lowland (below 800 m) and mountain (above 800 m) populations was found in respect of SVL, with mountain individuals being larger than the lowland. A significant age difference between lowland and mountain populations was not found. A significant positive correlation was found between age and SVL both in males and females. Individuals reached maturity between 2 and 3 years

Determination of genetic variation in Anatolian mountain frogs

Anatolian mountain frogs (Rana macrocnemis, Rana camerani, Rana holtzi and Rana tavasensis) are distributed in some regions of the Caucasus, Iran, Iraq and Anatolia. The studies that indicate the taxonomic status of species in the literature are mostly based on morphological characteristics and there is no population genetic study of this group. In this study, we collected 132 specimens from 31 different populations of Anatolia and phylogenetic and population genetic analyzes were performed based on base sequences of mtDNA (cyt b and COI) and nDNA (RAG1 and POMC) and 6 different microsatellite locus. The high bootstrap and posterior probability values of the Maximum parsimony, Bayesian inferences and Maximum likelihood analyzes of both mtDNA gene regions (for cyt b: 99/1.0/72; MP / BI / MB, for COI: 100/1.0/100; MP / BI / MB) shows that the while R. tavasensis species separated from other Anatolian mountain also, no genetic difference was obtained among other Anatolian mountain frogs R. holtzi, R. camerani and R. macrocnemis species. No distinct genetic structuring has been identified among the members of this group in terms of the nDNA genes examined. As a result of the population genetic analysis, a similar genetic structure was observed among Anatolian mountain frogs in terms of microsatellite DNA locus examined. In the light of the basic information we have obtained, including R. tavasensis species; in some of our groups, effective population size was not sufficient and significant bottlenecks were identified in some locus. As a result of genetic distance analysis, no significant correlation between geographical structure and genetic structure was found. As a result, Anatolian mountain frogs are divided into two species in terms of mtDNA. In terms of nDNA, it has not shown a genetic structuring.Anadolu dağ kurbağaları (Rana macrocnemis, Rana camerani, Rana holtzi ve Rana tavasensis) Kafkasya, İran, Irak'ın bazı bölgeleri ve Anadolu'da yayılım göstermektedir. Literatürde türlerin taksonomik durumlarını belirten çalışmalar çoğunlukla morfolojik özelliklere dayalı olup, bu gruba ait populasyon genetiği çalışması ise bulunmamaktadır. Bu çalışmada Anadolu'dan 31 farklı populasyondan toplanan 132 örneğin mtDNA (cyt b ve COI) ve nDNA (RAG1 ve POMC) baz sıralarına dayalı filogenetik ve 6 farklı mikrosatellit lokusuna dayalı populasyon genetiği analizleri yapılmıştır. Her iki mtDNA gen bölgesi maksimum tutumluluk, bayesiyan çıkarsama yaklaşımı ve maksimum benzerlik analizleri yüksek seç-bağla ve posterior olasılık değerleri ile (cyt b için; 99/1,0/88; MP/BI/MB, COI için; 100/1,0/100; MP/BI/MB) R. tavasensis türü diğer Anadolu dağ kurbağalarından ayrılırken, R. holtzi, R. camerani ve R. macrocnemis türleri arasında herhangi bir genetik farklılık elde edilmemiştir. İncelenen nDNA genleri bakımından bu tür grubunun üyeleri arasında farklılık arz eden bir genetik yapılanma tespit edilmemiştir. Populasyon genetiği analizleri sonucunda, Anadolu dağ kurbağaları arasında incelenen mikrosatellit DNA lokusları bakımından benzer genetik yapılanma gözlenmiştir. Elde ettiğimiz temel bilgiler ışığında; R. tavasensis türü de dahil bazı gruplarımızda etkili populasyon büyüklüğünün yeterli olmadığı ve bazı lokuslarda anlamlı darboğaz tespit edilmiştir. Genetik uzaklık analizleri sonucunda, coğrafik yapı ile genetik yapı arasında anlamlı bir korelasyon tespit edilmemiştir. Sonuç olarak, mtDNA bakımından Anadolu dağ kurbağaları iki türe ayrılmıştır. nDNA bakımından ise genetik bir yapılanma göstermemiştir

First data on DNA barcoding of the Agamidae (Reptilia: Squamata) from Anatolia, Turkey

Species delimitation tests were applied to the Anatolian agamid species (Stellagama stellio, Paralaudakia caucasia, Phrynocephalus horvathi and Trapelus ruderatus) for the first time. Cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene region (564 bp) was used for DNA barcoding. Automatic Barcoding Gap Discovery (ABGD), Poisson-Tree-Processes (PTP), Generalized Mixed Yule Coalescence (GMYC) and Refined Single Linkage (RESL) analysis were used for determining the operational taxonomic units (OTU). The number of OTUs varied from 4 to 7 among these methods. The interspecific genetic distance within the Agamidae ranged from 16.60% to 20.8%. The COI sequences were also compared with the Barcode of Life (BOLD) data system. This initial attempt indicated the validity of COI barcodes for Anatolian agamids in delimiting species and contributing to the growing library of DNA barcodes of animal species of the world. Our results might be useful in tackling taxonomic problems, understanding species distribution and resolving nomenclature conflicts associated with the Anatolian agamids

Genetic diversity of the Caucasian Parsley Frog, Pelodytes caucasicus (Anura: Pelodytidae)

Caucasia is a global biodiversity hotspot, rich in amphibians, including several endemic species. We sequenced samples from Parsley frogs (genus Pelodytes) across their Anatolian range to generate a barcode reference database and to assess patterns of genetic diversity in the species. Different species delimitation methods (ABGD, ASAP, GMYC and PTP) were applied to assess species diversity in the genus Pelodytes based on published and newly obtained mtDNA sequences. A majority of the species delimitation tests (ABGD, GMYC and ASAP) recovered four taxonomic units corresponding to currently accepted taxonomy (P. atlanticus, P. caucasicus, P. ibericus and P. punctatus). PTP, on the other hand, recovered only two taxonomic units, one combining the three Iberian taxa (P. atlanticus, P. ibericus, and P. punctatus), and the other, P. caucasicus. In Anatolia, individuals from Giresun and Trabzon were found to be genetically closer to each other compared to those from Rize and Artvin, based on genetic distances and phylogenetic and haplotype network analyses

Age structure, growth, and body size of pelodytes caucasicus from Turkey

Habitat conditions drive the growth rate and the age structure of near-threatened species of Caucasian parsley frog (Pelodytes caucasicus). We studied the age structure and the growth parameters of the Caucasian parsley frogs obtained from four regions of Anatolia, that is, Giresun, Trabzon, Rize, and Artvin. Our results revealed a lower growth rate among the frogs residing in anthropogenic areas (Cimbirtlik, Giresun; cat, Rize) compared to those living in the conservative areas (Hidirnebi, Trabzon; Karagol, Artvin). Also, the lowest values for age structure and the snout-vent length (SVL) were found in anthropogenic areas. Since P. caucasicus is categorized as "Near-Threatened" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Red Data Books of some countries, we must manage protected areas and plan future conservation action for this species

Amonyum sülfat gübresinin Rize (Karadeniz Bölgesi), Türkiye’den Rana macrocnemis larvaları üzerindeki bazı toksik etkiler

The aim of this study was to investigate the toxic effects of ammonium sulfate in Rana macrocnemis tadpoles. So, the animals were exposed to six different concentrations of ammonium sulfate (50, 75, 100, 150, 250 and 500 mg/L) for 96 hours. We detected morphological and behavioral changes during acute test. Increased concentration of ammonium sulfate-induced scoliosis was observed in the exposed animals. Besides, there was a loss of pigmentation and the movements of the tadpoles decreased with the increasing ammonium sulfate concentrations. In addition to that, we found out statistical differences between control and treatment groups in terms of final body length and weight. Despite increasing concentrations of ammonium sulfate caused increased mortality, there were no significant differences among treatments groups (50, 75, 100, 150, 250 and 500 mg/L) according to Kaplan-Meier survival test. Our results demonstrate that acute exposure to ammonium sulfate causes dose-related morphological and behavioral damage to Rana macrocnemis tadpoles in short periods of time.Bu çalışmanın amacı, Rana macrocnemis larvaları üzerinde amonyum sülfatın toksik etkilerini araştırmaktır. Böylece, hayvanlar 96 saat boyunca altı farklı amonyum sülfat konsantrasyonuna (50, 75, 100, 150, 250 ve 500 mg /L) maruz bırakıldı. Bu akut test sırasında morfolojik ve davranışsal değişiklikler tespit ettik. Maruz kalan hayvanlarda artan amonyum sülfat konsantrasyonuna bağlı olarak omurga eğriliği gözlemlendi. Ayrıca artan amonyum sülfat konsantrasyonları ile larvalarda pigmentasyon kaybı vardı ve hareketleri azaldı. Buna ek olarak, kontrol ve amonyum sülfat uygulanan gruplar arasındaki nihai vücut uzunluğu ve ağırlığı açısından istatistiksel farklılıklar bulduk. Artan amonyum sülfat konsantrasyonu ile ölümlerin artmasına rağmen, Kaplan-Meier sağkalım testine göre amonyum sülfat uygulanan gruplar arasında anlamlı farklılık bulunmamıştır. Sonuçlarımız, amonyum sülfata akut maruz bırakılan Rana macrocnemis larvalarında kısa sürede, doza bağlı morfolojik ve davranışsal hasara neden olduğunu göstermektedir

The effect of altitude, latitude and climatic variables on life-history traits of male Hyla savignyi (AUDOUIN, 1827) from Anatolia (Turkey): a skeletochronological study

gul, serkan/0000-0002-0372-7462WOS: 000358810000006A total of 127 male individuals of Hyla savignyi (AUDOUIN, 1827) from three populations of different altitudes (Iskenderun - 10 m a.s.l., Sanlrurfa - 476 m, Igdir - 858 m) were studied for age structure and body size using skeletochronology. Due to the small number of females collected, only males were considered in the analysis. the oldest individuals were six years old, both in Sanlrurfa and Igdir, compared to five years in the Iskenderun population. Age upon attaining sexual maturity ranged from one to two years for all sites. Males from higher altitude and latitude populations were larger than individuals from low altitude and more southern populations.Recep Tayyip Erdogan University (Rize, Turkey)Recep Tayyip Erdogan University [BAP-2011.102.03.2]This research was funded by Grant BAP-2011.102.03.2 of the Recep Tayyip Erdogan University (Rize, Turkey)

Age determination of Heremites vittatus (Bridled Skink) (Olivier, 1804) using skeletochronology in Sivas population, Turkey

Sürüngenlerde yaş yapısının, eşeysel olgunluk yaşının ve ömür uzunluğunun bilinmesi onların yaşam öyküsü özelliklerinin ekolojik ve evrimsel yönleri ile anlaşılmasında yardımcı olmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, Sivas (Türkiye)’tan Heremites vittatus (Şeritli Kertenkele) türüne ait dişi bireylerin yaş yapısı ilk defa ortaya konulmuştur. Buna göre en uzun yaşam uzunluğu bu türün dişi bireyleri için 5 yıl olarak tespit edilmiştir. Baş uzunluğu, baş genişliği ve vücut uzunluğu belirlenen bireylerde, yaş ve vücut boyu arasında anlamlı bir ilişki tespit edilmiştir. Bununla birlikte, vücut uzunluğu, baş uzunluğu ve baş genişliği arasında da anlamlı bir ilişki mevcuttur.The knowledge of age structure, age of sexual maturity and lifetime in reptiles helps to understand their ecological and evolutionary aspects of life story traits. In this study, the age structure of the female individuals belonging to Heremites vittatus (Bridled Skink) from Sivas (Turkey) was revealed for the first time. Accordingly, the maximum life span was determined to be 5 years for this species. A significant relationship was found between age and body size in individuals whose head length, head width and body length were determined. In addition to this, there is a significant relationship between body length, head length and head width

Preliminary data on the age structure of Asaccus barani (Baran's leaf-toed gecko) from southeastern Anatolia, Turkey

In this study, the age structure of an Asaccus barani sample from Şanlıurfa (southeastern Anatolia, Turkey) was determined by skeletochronology for the first time. A total of 17 preserved adults (7♂♂, 10♀♀) were evaluated, and the maximum observed lifespan was recorded as 6 years in males and 5 years in females. The first line of arrested growth was partially eroded by endosteal resorption in 29% of individuals and completely eroded in 18%. The mean age was 3.85 ± 0.50 years in males and 3.80 ± 0.32 years in females; the mean snout–vent length (SVL) was 46.99 ± 2.64 mm (range: 37.78–54.13) in males and 46.89 ± 1.51 mm (range: 40.33–53.19) in females. There was no significant difference between sexes in terms of age and SVL. However, there was a positive correlation between age and SVL in both males and females