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Tarkhnishvili D, Seropian A, Erhardt C, Kachlishvili N, Krammer H, Hein N. How dispersal rates depend on the prey capture strategy: A case study of Georgia's spiders. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11372. [PMID: 38742184 PMCID: PMC11089273 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Large-scale barcoding projects help to aggregate information on genetic variability of multiple species throughout their ranges. Comparing DNA sequences of both non-conspecific and conspecific individuals from distant parts of their ranges helps to compare level of genetic isolation-by-distance patterns in different species and adaptive types. We compared mitochondrial CO1 gene sequences of 223 spiders from Georgia (Caucasus), representing 124 species and eight families, with 3097 homological sequences from spiders mostly from Europe, but also from other parts of the World. In most families, a significant isolation-by distance pattern was observed on family level. On species level, a significant isolation-by-distance was observed in 40 species, although this low proportion is most likely related to a lack of data. Simultaneously, remarkable differences in spatial structure were shown for different species. Although the majority of the studied species have a broad western Palearctic range, web-building spiders from families Araneidae, Theridiidae, and Linyphiidae are less isolated spatially than flower spiders (Thomisidae), jumping spiders (Salticidae), wolf spiders (Lycosidae), sac spiders (Clubionidae), and ground spiders (Gnaphosidae). This pattern is related with more common ballooning in web building than in actively hunting spiders, which commonly remain isolated since preglacial time. Ground spiders build the most isolated populations in the Caucasus.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Christoph Erhardt
- LIB – Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Biodiversity CenterZoological Research Museum Alexander KoenigBonnGermany
| | | | - Hans‐Joachim Krammer
- LIB – Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Biodiversity CenterZoological Research Museum Alexander KoenigBonnGermany
| | - Nils Hein
- LIB – Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Biodiversity CenterZoological Research Museum Alexander KoenigBonnGermany
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Ninua L, Tarkhnishvili D, Anderson CL. Genetic structure of Ponto-Caspian trout populations shows gene flow among river drainages and supports resident Salmo rizeensis as a genetically distinct taxon. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10335. [PMID: 37496759 PMCID: PMC10365970 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
To assess the genetic structure of Ponto-Caspian brown trout (Salmo trutta complex) populations, we analyzed both mitochondrial DNA sequences and genotypes at 10 microsatellite loci of fish caught in the Black Sea and from nine river catchments in Georgia, flowing into either the Black or Caspian seas. The results show that: (1) there is substantial genetic differentiation among Ponto-Caspian trout populations, both among the populations of different nominal species and within those of the same species; (2) the genetic distance between conspecific populations from the Black and Caspian Sea basins exceeds that among the populations within the same basin. Moreover, within drainages, genetic distance correlates with the geographic distance; (3) the Black Sea itself is not a barrier to gene flow among the watersheds draining into the Black Sea; (4) some populations in the headwaters of the rivers draining into the Black Sea Basin fall out of this pattern and likely form a separate, non-anadromous (resident) taxon, previously described from northeastern Turkey as Salmo rizeensis. This hypothesis is supported by mitochondrial DNA phylogeny. The presence of both anadromous and resident populations in a single river basin calls for a substantial re-thinking of speciation patterns and taxonomy of Eurasian brown trout.
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Affiliation(s)
- Levan Ninua
- Institute of EcologyIlia State UniversityTbilisiGeorgia
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Tarkhnishvili D, Yanchukov A, Böhne A. Editorial: Advantages, limitations, and evolutionary constraints of asexual reproduction: An empirical approach. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1184306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
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Reshetnikov AN, Zibrova MG, Ayaz D, Bhattarai S, Borodin OV, Borzée A, Brejcha J, Çiçek K, Dimaki M, Doronin IV, Drobenkov SM, Gichikhanova UA, Gladkova AY, Gordeev DA, Ioannidis Y, Ilyukh MP, Interesova EA, Jadhav TD, Karabanov DP, Khabibullin VF, Khabilov TK, Khan MMH, Kidov AA, Klimov AS, Kochetkov DN, Kolbintsev VG, Kuzmin SL, Lotiev KY, Louppova NE, Lvov VD, Lyapkov SM, Martynenko IM, Maslova IV, Masroor R, Mazanaeva LF, Milko DA, Milto KD, Mozaffari O, Nguyen TQ, Novitsky RV, Petrovskiy AB, Prelovskiy VA, Serbin VV, Shi HT, Skalon NV, Struijk RPJH, Taniguchi M, Tarkhnishvili D, Tsurkan VF, Tyutenkov OY, Ushakov MV, Vekhov DA, Xiao F, Yakimov AV, Yakovleva TI, Yang P, Zeleev DF, Petrosyan VG. Rarely naturalized, but widespread and even invasive: the paradox of a popular pet terrapin expansion in Eurasia. NB 2023. [DOI: 10.3897/neobiota.81.90473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The North American terrapin, the red-eared slider, has globally recognized invasive status. We built a new extensive database using our own original and literature data on the ecology of this reptile, representing information on 1477 water bodies throughout Eurasia over the last 50 years. The analysis reveals regions of earliest introductions and long-term spatio-temporal dynamics of the expansion covering now 68 Eurasian countries, including eight countries reported here for the first time. We established also long-term trends in terms of numbers of terrapins per aquatic site, habitat occupation, and reproduction success. Our investigation has revealed differences in the ecology of the red-eared slider in different parts of Eurasia. The most prominent expression of diverse signs of invasion success (higher portion of inhabited natural water bodies, higher number of individuals per water body, successful overwintering, occurrence of juvenile individuals, successful reproduction, and establishment of populations) are typical for Europe, West Asia and East Asia and tend to be restricted to coastal regions and islands. Reproduction records coincide well with the predicted potential range based on climatic requirements but records of successful wintering have a wider distribution. This invader provides an excellent and possibly unique (among animals) example of wide alien distribution, without the establishment of reproducing populations, but through the recruitment of new individuals to rising pseudopopulations due to additional releases. Therefore, alongside the potential reproduction range, a cost-effective strategy for population control must take in account the geographical area of successful wintering.
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Tarkhnishvili D, Hille A, Waller T, Todua M, Murtskhvaladze M, Böhme W. Morphological trends and genetic divergence in anacondas, genus Eunectes Wagler, 1830 (Serpentes: Boidae). AMPHIBIA-REPTILIA 2022. [DOI: 10.1163/15685381-bja10114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The genus Eunectes Wagler, 1830 is divided into four nominal species: E. murinus (Linnaeus, 1758), E. notaeus Cope, 1862, E. deschauenseei Dunn and Conant, 1936, and E. beniensis Dirksen, 2002 (E. barbouri Dunn and Conant, 1936 being a synonym of E. murinus). We analyze multivariate morphological traits (scalation, coloration pattern, and body shape), sequences of one mitochondrial and five nuclear genes, and genetic patterns of randomly amplified DNA (RAPD) markers of historical geographical samples representing all known taxa. We show that the genus consists of two distinct evolutionary lineages, ‘big-bodied’ (only E. murinus) and ‘small-bodied’ anacondas. The latter group includes three morphologically distinct allopatric forms, E. notaeus, E. deschauenseei, and E. beniensis. Both phenotypically and genotypically, E. beniensis is more distant from E. notaeus and E. deschauenseei than the two latter species are from each other. However, the three nominal species of small-bodied anacondas did not show clear reciprocal monophyly and did not reach the stage of complete lineage sorting. Instead, genetic data support the presence of three incipient species of small-bodied anacondas.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Tarkhnishvili
- Institute of Ecology, Ilia State University, Cholokashvili Str. 3 5 , 0162 Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Axel Hille
- Altheider Weg 13, 32805 Horn-Bad Meinberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Waller
- Fundación Biodiversidad Argentina (FBA), Suipacha 1311 – 5 Piso, C1011AAC C. Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mariam Todua
- Institute of Ecology, Ilia State University, Cholokashvili Str. 3 5 , 0162 Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Marine Murtskhvaladze
- Institute of Ecology, Ilia State University, Cholokashvili Str. 3 5 , 0162 Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Wolfgang Böhme
- Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, Adenauerallee 160, 53113 Bonn, Germany
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Barateli N, Tarkhnishvili D, Iankoshvili G, Kokiashvili L. Reproductive effort of unisexual and bisexual rock lizards (genus Darevskia). ZOOL ANZ 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2022.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Tarkhnishvili D, Gavashelishvili A, Murtskhvaladze M, Latsuzbaia A. Landscape Complexity in the Caucasus Impedes Genetic Assimilation of Human Populations More Effectively than Language or Ethnicity. Hum Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1353/hub.2017.0003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Iankoshvili G, Tarkhnishvili D. Distribution of snakes (Reptilia: Serpentes) in Georgia: Social media networks help to improve scientific knowledge. Zoology in the Middle East 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/09397140.2021.1957208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Barateli N, Tarkhnishvili D, Iankoshvili G, Kokiashvili L, Dvali N, Janiashvili Z. Fine-scale analysis of habitat occupancy by Kura lizard (Darevskia portschinskii) and its daughter parthenogenetic form (Darevskia dahli). HERPETOZOA 2021. [DOI: 10.3897/herpetozoa.34.e63072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Two species of rock lizards, the parthenogenetic D. dahli and the sexually reproducing D. portschinskii, coexist in a rocky outcrop in an area of ca. 1 ha, in the vicinity of Tbilisi, Georgia; the location has been well-known since the middle 1960s. The population density of the parthenogenetic lizard is five times higher than that of the sexual breeder. We studied the distribution of active lizards in space and time over three consecutive years, during the spring and autumn activity periods, to explore spatial and temporal differences between the species on a fine spatial scale. We studied the influence of temperature, humidity, and quantitative characteristics of the surface and the distance from permanent water source on the spatial distribution of D. dahli and D. portschinskii. Darevskia portschinskii was less dependent on the distance from the water source and more evenly distributed in space and time than D. dahli. Despite potential competitive interactions, the species did not avoid each other on the microhabitat scale, suggesting that the observed ecological differences are not caused by a niche shift. More individuals of the sexual breeder than individuals of the parthenogen were found in suboptimal habitats. This feature may increase the evolutionary success of D. portschinskii in a long-term perspective.
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Shakarashvili M, Kopaliani N, Gurielidze Z, Dekanoidze D, Ninua L, Tarkhnishvili D. Population genetic structure and dispersal patterns of grey wolfs (
Canis lupus
) and golden jackals (
Canis aureus
) in Georgia, the Caucasus. J Zool (1987) 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - N. Kopaliani
- Institute of Ecology Ilia State University Tbilisi Georgia
| | - Z. Gurielidze
- Institute of Ecology Ilia State University Tbilisi Georgia
- Tbilisi Zoo Tbilisi Georgia
| | - D. Dekanoidze
- Institute of Ecology Ilia State University Tbilisi Georgia
| | - L. Ninua
- Institute of Ecology Ilia State University Tbilisi Georgia
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Tarkhnishvili D, Yanchukov A, Şahin MK, Gabelaia M, Murtskhvaladze M, Candan K, Galoyan E, Arakelyan M, Iankoshvili G, Kumlutaş Y, Ilgaz Ç, Matur F, Çolak F, Erdolu M, Kurdadze S, Barateli N, Anderson CL. Genotypic similarities among the parthenogenetic Darevskia rock lizards with different hybrid origins. BMC Evol Biol 2020; 20:122. [PMID: 32938384 PMCID: PMC7493426 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-020-01690-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The majority of parthenogenetic vertebrates derive from hybridization between sexually reproducing species, but the exact number of hybridization events ancestral to currently extant clonal lineages is difficult to determine. Usually, we do not know whether the parental species are able to contribute their genes to the parthenogenetic vertebrate lineages after the initial hybridization. In this paper, we address the hypothesis, whether some genotypes of seven phenotypically distinct parthenogenetic rock lizards (genus Darevskia) could have resulted from back-crosses of parthenogens with their presumed parental species. We also tried to identify, as precise as possible, the ancestral populations of all seven parthenogens. RESULTS We analysed partial mtDNA sequences and microsatellite genotypes of all seven parthenogens and their presumed ansectral species, sampled across the entire geographic range of parthenogenesis in this group. Our results confirm the previous designation of the parental species, but further specify the maternal populations that are likely ancestral to different parthenogenetic lineages. Contrary to the expectation of independent hybrid origins of the unisexual taxa, we found that genotypes at multiple loci were shared frequently between different parthenogenetic species. The highest proportions of shared genotypes were detected between (i) D. sapphirina and D. bendimahiensis and (ii) D. dahli and D. armeniaca, and less often between other parthenogens. In case (ii), genotypes at the remaining loci were notably distinct. CONCLUSIONS We suggest that both observations (i-ii) can be explained by two parthenogenetic forms tracing their origin to a single initial hybridization event. In case (ii), however, occasional gene exchange between the unisexual and the parental bisexual species could have taken place after the onset of parthenogenetic reproduction. Indeed, backcrossed polyploid hybrids are relatively frequent in Darevskia, although no direct evidence of recent gene flow has been previously documented. Our results further suggest that parthenogens are losing heterozygosity as a result of allelic conversion, hence their fitness is expected to decline over time as genetic diversity declines. Backcrosses with the parental species could be a rescue mechanism which might prevent this decline, and therefore increase the persistance of unisexual forms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mehmet Kürşat Şahin
- Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Mariam Gabelaia
- Institute of Ecology, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | | | - Kamil Candan
- Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Dokuz Eylül University, İzmir, Turkey
| | | | | | | | - Yusuf Kumlutaş
- Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Dokuz Eylül University, İzmir, Turkey
| | - Çetin Ilgaz
- Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Dokuz Eylül University, İzmir, Turkey
| | - Ferhat Matur
- Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Dokuz Eylül University, İzmir, Turkey
| | - Faruk Çolak
- Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Turkey
| | - Meriç Erdolu
- Middle East Technical University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Sofiko Kurdadze
- Institute of Ecology, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Natia Barateli
- Institute of Ecology, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Cort L Anderson
- Institute of Ecology, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
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Murtskhvaladze M, Tarkhnishvili D, Anderson CL, Kotorashvili A. Phylogeny of caucasian rock lizards (Darevskia) and other true lizards based on mitogenome analysis: Optimisation of the algorithms and gene selection. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0233680. [PMID: 32511235 PMCID: PMC7279592 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We generated a phylogeny for Caucasian rock lizards (Darevskia), and included six other families of true lizards (Lacertini), based on complete mitochondrial genome analysis. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) of genomic DNA was used to obtain 16 new mitogenomes of Darevskia. These, along with 35 sequences downloaded from GenBank: genera Darevskia, Zootoca, Podarcis, Phoenicolacerta, Takydromus, Lacerta, and Eremias-were used in the analysis. All four analytical methods (Bayesian Inference, BI; Maximum Likelihood, ML; Maximum Parsimony, MP; and Neighbor-Joining, NJ) showed almost congruent intra-generic topologies for Darevskia and other lizard genera. However, ML and NJ methods on one side, and BI and MP methods on the other harvested conflicting phylogenies. The ML/NJ topology supports earlier published separation of Darevskia into three mitochondrial clades (Murphy, Fu, Macculloch, Darevsky, and Kupinova, 2000), but BI and MP topologies support that the basal branching occurred between D. parvula from the western Lesser Caucasus and the rest of Darevskia. All topologies altered the phylogenetic position of some individual species, including D. daghestanica, D. derjugini, and D. chlorogaster. Reanalysis after excluding four saturated genes from the data set, and excluding genus Eremias gives fully convergent topologies. The most basal branching for true lizards was between Far Eastern Takydromus and the Western Eurasian genera (BI). Comparing phylogenetic performance of individual genes relative to whole mitogenome data, concatenated 16S RNA (the least saturated gene in our analyses) and Cytochrome b genes generate a robust phylogeny that is fully congruent with that based on the complete mitogenome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Murtskhvaladze
- School of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
- L. Sakvarelidze National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - David Tarkhnishvili
- School of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Cort L. Anderson
- School of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Adam Kotorashvili
- L. Sakvarelidze National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Tbilisi, Georgia
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Abstract
AbstractPhenotypic evolution can cause either divergent or convergent phenotypic patterns. Even adaptation to the same environment may result in divergence of some elements of phenotype, whereas for other morphological traits it could cause phenotypic convergence. We hypothesize that at least some phenotypic characters diverge monotonically, hence they evolve irreversibly even in very closely related species, and this happens in spite of multiple convergent adaptive patterns. We studied the evolution of phenotype in 13 closely related Caucasian rock lizards (Darevskia), whose phylogenetic relationships are well known. We used head shape and the outlines of three important scales, using geometric morphometrics. We studied the association of the overall head shape, individual principal components of head shape and scale outlines with four predictors: phylogeny, habitat, sex and size. The overall head shape was not correlated with any of these predictors, whereas some principal components were correlated with habitat or phylogeny. Habitat type explained the highest fraction of variation in head shape and anal scale area. The relatedness inferred from the components of phenotype not correlated with habitat was congruent with the phylogenetic tree inferred from molecular data. Although adaptation to local environments may obscure the phylogenetic signal present in phenotype, there are components of phenotype whose evolution is irreversible.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Tarkhnishvili
- Ilia State University, Institute of Ecology, School of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Kakutsa Cholokashvili Ave 3/5, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Mariam Gabelaia
- Ilia State University, Institute of Ecology, School of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Kakutsa Cholokashvili Ave 3/5, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Dominique Adriaens
- Ghent University, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, K. L. Ledeganckstraat 35, Gent, Belgium
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Tarkhnishvili D, Barateli N, Murtskhvaladze M, Iankoshvili G. Estimating phenotypic heritability of sexual and unisexually reproducing rock lizards (genus Darevskia). ZOOL ANZ 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2020.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Ninua L, Tarkhnishvili D, Gvazava E. Phylogeography and taxonomic status of trout and salmon from the Ponto-Caspian drainages, with inferences on European Brown Trout evolution and taxonomy. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:2645-2658. [PMID: 29531683 PMCID: PMC5838059 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2017] [Revised: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Current taxonomy of western Eurasian trout leaves a number of questions open; it is not clear to what extent some species are distinct genetically and morphologically. The purpose of this paper was to explore phylogeography and species boundaries in freshwater and anadromous trout from the drainages of the Black and the Caspian Seas (Ponto-Caspian). We studied morphology and mitochondrial phylogeny, combining samples from the western Caucasus within the potential range of five nominal species of trout that are thought to inhabit this region, and using the sequences available from GenBank. Our results suggest that the genetic diversity of trout in the Ponto-Caspian region is best explained with the fragmentation of catchments. (1) All trout species from Ponto-Caspian belong to the same mitochondrial clade, separated from the other trout since the Pleistocene; (2) the southeastern Black Sea area is the most likely place of diversification of this clade, which is closely related to the clades from Anatolia; (3) The species from the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea drainages are monophyletic; (4) except for the basal lineage of the Ponto-Caspian clade, Salmo rizeensis, all the lineages produce anadromous forms; (5) genetic diversification within the Ponto-Caspian clade is related to Pleistocene glacial waves; (6) the described morphological differences between the species are not fully diagnostic, and some earlier described differences depend on body size; the differences between freshwater and marine forms exceed those between the different lineages. We suggest a conservative taxonomic approach, using the names S. rizeensis and Salmo labrax for trout from the Black Sea basin and Salmo caspius and Salmo ciscaucasicus for the fish from the Caspian basin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Levan Ninua
- Institute of EcologyIlia State UniversityTbilisiGeorgia
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Tarkhnishvili D, Gavashelishvili A, Murtskhvaladze M, Latsuzbaia A. Landscape Complexity in the Caucasus Impedes Genetic Assimilation of Human Populations More Effectively than Language or Ethnicity. Hum Biol 2018; 88:287-300. [PMID: 28826321 DOI: 10.13110/humanbiology.88.4.0287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The analyses of 15 autosomal and 23 Y-chromosome DNA single-tandem-repeat loci in five rural populations from the Caucasus (four ethnically Georgian and one ethnically Armenian) indicated that two Georgian populations, one from the west and the other from the east of the Greater Caucasus Mountains, were both patrilineally and autosomally most differentiated from each other, and the other populations of Georgians and Armenians held an intermediate position between those two. This pattern may be due to human dispersal from two distinct glacial refugia in the last glacial period and the early Holocene, followed by less gene flow among the populations from the Greater Caucasus than among those from the rest of the Caucasus, where the populations have undergone substantial admixture in historical time. This hypothesis is supported by a strong correlation between genetic differentiation among the populations and landscape permeability to human migrations as determined by terrain ruggedness, forest cover, and snow cover. Although geographic patterns of autosomal and Y-chromosome DNA are not fully concordant, both are influenced by landscape permeability and show a similar east-west gradient. Our results suggest that this permeability was a stronger factor limiting gene flow among human populations in the Caucasus than were ethnic or linguistic boundaries.
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Tarkhnishvili D, Gabelaia M, Kandaurov A, Bukhnikashvili A, Iankoshvili G. Isolated population of the Middle Eastern Phoenicolacerta laevis from the Georgian Black Sea Coast, and its genetic closeness to populations from southern Turkey. Zoology in the Middle East 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/09397140.2017.1361191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Mariam Gabelaia
- Institute of Ecology, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
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Tarkhnishvili D, Murtskhvaladze M, Anderson CL. Coincidence of genotypes at two loci in two parthenogenetic rock lizards: how backcrosses might trigger adaptive speciation. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blw046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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Tarkhnishvili D, Gavashelishvili A, Murtskhvaladze M, Gabelaia M, Tevzadze G. Human paternal lineages, languages, and environment in the Caucasus. Hum Biol 2015; 86:113-30. [PMID: 25397702 DOI: 10.3378/027.086.0205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Publications that describe the composition of the human Y-DNA haplogroup in diffferent ethnic or linguistic groups and geographic regions provide no explicit explanation of the distribution of human paternal lineages in relation to specific ecological conditions. Our research attempts to address this topic for the Caucasus, a geographic region that encompasses a relatively small area but harbors high linguistic, ethnic, and Y-DNA haplogroup diversity. We genotyped 224 men that identified themselves as ethnic Georgian for 23 Y-chromosome short tandem-repeat markers and assigned them to their geographic places of origin. The genotyped data were supplemented with published data on haplogroup composition and location of other ethnic groups of the Caucasus. We used multivariate statistical methods to see if linguistics, climate, and landscape accounted for geographical diffferences in frequencies of the Y-DNA haplogroups G2, R1a, R1b, J1, and J2. The analysis showed significant associations of (1) G2 with wellforested mountains, (2) J2 with warm areas or poorly forested mountains, and (3) J1 with poorly forested mountains. R1b showed no association with environment. Haplogroups J1 and R1a were significantly associated with Daghestanian and Kipchak speakers, respectively, but the other haplogroups showed no such simple associations with languages. Climate and landscape in the context of competition over productive areas among diffferent paternal lineages, arriving in the Caucasus in diffferent times, have played an important role in shaping the present-day spatial distribution of patrilineages in the Caucasus. This spatial pattern had formed before linguistic subdivisions were finally shaped, probably in the Neolithic to Bronze Age. Later historical turmoil had little influence on the patrilineage composition and spatial distribution. Based on our results, the scenario of postglacial expansions of humans and their languages to the Caucasus from the Middle East, western Eurasia, and the East European Plain is plausible.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Tarkhnishvili
- Center of Biodiversity Studies, Institute of Ecology, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | | | - Marine Murtskhvaladze
- Center of Biodiversity Studies, Institute of Ecology, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Mariam Gabelaia
- Center of Biodiversity Studies, Institute of Ecology, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Gigi Tevzadze
- 4D Research Institute, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
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de Jong Y, Kouwenberg J, Boumans L, Hussey C, Hyam R, Nicolson N, Kirk P, Paton A, Michel E, Guiry MD, Boegh PS, Pedersen HÆ, Enghoff H, von Raab-Straube E, Güntsch A, Geoffroy M, Müller A, Kohlbecker A, Berendsohn W, Appeltans W, Arvanitidis C, Vanhoorne B, Declerck J, Vandepitte L, Hernandez F, Nash R, Costello MJ, Ouvrard D, Bezard-Falgas P, Bourgoin T, Wetzel FT, Glöckler F, Korb G, Ring C, Hagedorn G, Häuser C, Aktaç N, Asan A, Ardelean A, Borges PAV, Dhora D, Khachatryan H, Malicky M, Ibrahimov S, Tuzikov A, De Wever A, Moncheva S, Spassov N, Chobot K, Popov A, Boršić I, Sfenthourakis S, Kõljalg U, Uotila P, Olivier G, Dauvin JC, Tarkhnishvili D, Chaladze G, Tuerkay M, Legakis A, Peregovits L, Gudmundsson G, Ólafsson E, Lysaght L, Galil BS, Raimondo FM, Domina G, Stoch F, Minelli A, Spungis V, Budrys E, Olenin S, Turpel A, Walisch T, Krpach V, Gambin MT, Ungureanu L, Karaman G, Kleukers RMJC, Stur E, Aagaard K, Valland N, Moen TL, Bogdanowicz W, Tykarski P, Węsławski JM, Kędra M, M de Frias Martins A, Abreu AD, Silva R, Medvedev S, Ryss A, Šimić S, Marhold K, Stloukal E, Tome D, Ramos MA, Valdés B, Pina F, Kullander S, Telenius A, Gonseth Y, Tschudin P, Sergeyeva O, Vladymyrov V, Rizun VB, Raper C, Lear D, Stoev P, Penev L, Rubio AC, Backeljau T, Saarenmaa H, Ulenberg S. PESI - a taxonomic backbone for Europe. Biodivers Data J 2015:e5848. [PMID: 26491393 PMCID: PMC4609752 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.3.e5848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2015] [Accepted: 09/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Reliable taxonomy underpins communication in all of biology, not least nature conservation and sustainable use of ecosystem resources. The flexibility of taxonomic interpretations, however, presents a serious challenge for end-users of taxonomic concepts. Users need standardised and continuously harmonised taxonomic reference systems, as well as high-quality and complete taxonomic data sets, but these are generally lacking for non-specialists. The solution is in dynamic, expertly curated web-based taxonomic tools. The Pan-European Species-directories Infrastructure (PESI) worked to solve this key issue by providing a taxonomic e-infrastructure for Europe. It strengthened the relevant social (expertise) and information (standards, data and technical) capacities of five major community networks on taxonomic indexing in Europe, which is essential for proper biodiversity assessment and monitoring activities. The key objectives of PESI were: 1) standardisation in taxonomic reference systems, 2) enhancement of the quality and completeness of taxonomic data sets and 3) creation of integrated access to taxonomic information. New information This paper describes the results of PESI and its future prospects, including the involvement in major European biodiversity informatics initiatives and programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yde de Jong
- University of Amsterdam - Faculty of Science, Amsterdam, Netherlands ; University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland ; Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium ; Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Louis Boumans
- University of Oslo - Natural History Museum, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Roger Hyam
- Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | | | - Paul Kirk
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alan Paton
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Michael D Guiry
- AlgaeBase c/o Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
| | | | | | - Henrik Enghoff
- Zoological Museum Copenhagen, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Anton Güntsch
- Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin-Dahlem, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marc Geoffroy
- Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin-Dahlem, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Müller
- Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin-Dahlem, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Kohlbecker
- Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin-Dahlem, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Walter Berendsohn
- Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin-Dahlem, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Róisín Nash
- Marine and Freshwater Research Centre (MFRC), Galway Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT), Galway, Ireland ; Ecological Consultancy Services Ltd, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Mark John Costello
- University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand ; Ecological Consultancy Services Ltd, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | | | - Thierry Bourgoin
- Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Département Systématique & Evolution, UMR 7205 MNHN-CNRS-UPMC-EPHE, (ISyEB), Paris, France
| | - Florian Tobias Wetzel
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
| | - Falko Glöckler
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
| | - Günther Korb
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
| | - Caroline Ring
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gregor Hagedorn
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christoph Häuser
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Paulo Alexandre Vieira Borges
- CE3C - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes / Azorean Biodiversity Group and Universidade dos Açores, Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Portugal
| | - Dhimiter Dhora
- University of Shkodra, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Shkodra, Albania
| | - Hasmik Khachatryan
- National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Institute of Zoology, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Michael Malicky
- Oberösterreichisches Landesmuseum, Biologiezentrum, Linz, Austria
| | | | - Alexander Tuzikov
- United Institute of Informatics Problems,
National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Minsk, Belarus
| | - Aaike De Wever
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | | | - Karel Chobot
- Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Alexi Popov
- National Museum of Natural History, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Igor Boršić
- State Institute for Nature Protection, Zagreb, Croatia
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Liam Lysaght
- National Biodiversity Data Center, Waterford, Ireland
| | - Bella Sarah Galil
- National Institute of Oceanography, Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, Haifa, Israel
| | - Francesco M Raimondo
- University Palermo, Botanical Garden and Herbarium Mediterraneum, Palermo, Italy
| | - Gianniantonio Domina
- University Palermo, Botanical Garden and Herbarium Mediterraneum, Palermo, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Armand Turpel
- Musée national d'histoire naturelle Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Tania Walisch
- Musée national d'histoire naturelle Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | | | | | - Laurentia Ungureanu
- Institute of Zoology of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, Chişinău, Moldova
| | - Gordan Karaman
- Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts, Podgorica, Montenegro
| | | | - Elisabeth Stur
- NTNU University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Kaare Aagaard
- NTNU University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Nils Valland
- Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre (Artsdatabanken), Trondheim, Norway
| | | | | | - Piotr Tykarski
- University of Warsaw, Faculty of Biology, Dept. of Ecology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Monika Kędra
- Institute of Oceanology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot, Poland
| | | | | | | | - Sergei Medvedev
- Zoological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences, St Petersburg, Russia
| | - Alexander Ryss
- Zoological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences, St Petersburg, Russia
| | - Smiljka Šimić
- Centre for the Balkan Biodiversity Conservation, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Karol Marhold
- Institute of Botany, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia ; Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Praha, Czech Republic
| | | | - Davorin Tome
- Slovenian National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Marian A Ramos
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | - Yves Gonseth
- Centre Suisse de Cartographie de la Faune, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Pascal Tschudin
- Centre Suisse de Cartographie de la Faune, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | - Chris Raper
- Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dan Lear
- Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, Plymouth, United Kingdom
| | - Pavel Stoev
- National Museum of Natural History, Sofia, Bulgaria ; Pensoft Publishers, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Lyubomir Penev
- Pensoft Publishers, Sofia, Bulgaria ; Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Ana Casino Rubio
- CETAF c/o Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
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Gabelaia M, Gabelaia M, Tarkhnishvili D, Gabelaia M, Tarkhnishvili D, Murtskhvaladze M. Phylogeography and morphological variation in a narrowly distributed Caucasian rock lizard, Darevskia mixta. AMPHIBIA-REPTILIA 2015. [DOI: 10.1163/15685381-00002975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The Caucasian rock lizard Darevskia mixta was sampled and studied from throughout its range, using mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences and scalation. The populations of the Greater and the Lesser Caucasus are reciprocally monophyletic matrilineally, and the respective lineages have been separated since the mid-Pleistocene. The lizards from the Greater Caucasus commonly have an unpaired preanal scale, whereas the lizards from the Lesser Caucasus have an additional scale behind the central temporal and subdivided interparietal scale more commonly than those from the Greater Caucasus. The Lesser Caucasus populations are further subdivided into two geographically distinct matrilineages, and are more diverse genetically and morphologically than the Greater Caucasus populations. The central part of the Lesser Caucasus is suggested to be the ancestral area for the entire D. mixta lineage. Successive Pleistocene periods of glaciation appear to be responsible both for the isolation of D. mixta from its common relatives, and for subdivision within D. mixta. Presence of D. mixta in NE Turkey is challenged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariam Gabelaia
- Ilia State University, K. Cholokashvili Ave. 3/5, Tbilisi 0162, Georgia
| | - Mariam Gabelaia
- Ilia State University, K. Cholokashvili Ave. 3/5, Tbilisi 0162, Georgia
| | - David Tarkhnishvili
- Institute of Ecology, Ilia State University, K. Cholokashvili Ave. 3/5, Tbilisi 0162, Georgia
| | - Mariam Gabelaia
- Ilia State University, K. Cholokashvili Ave. 3/5, Tbilisi 0162, Georgia
| | - David Tarkhnishvili
- Institute of Ecology, Ilia State University, K. Cholokashvili Ave. 3/5, Tbilisi 0162, Georgia
| | - Marine Murtskhvaladze
- Genetic lab, Ilia State University, K. Cholokashvili Ave. 3/5, Tbilisi 0162, Georgia
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Kopaliani N, Shakarashvili M, Gurielidze Z, Qurkhuli T, Tarkhnishvili D. Gene flow between wolf and shepherd dog populations in Georgia (Caucasus). J Hered 2014; 105:345-53. [PMID: 24622972 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esu014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
We studied the distribution of the mitochondrial DNA haplotypes and microsatellite genotypes at 8 loci in 102 gray wolves, 57 livestock guarding dogs, and 9 mongrel dogs from Georgia (Caucasus). Most of the studied dogs had mitochondrial haplotypes clustered with presumably East Asian dog lineages, and most of the studied wolves had the haplotypes clustered with European wolves, but 20% of wolves and 37% of dogs shared the same mitochondrial haplotypes. Bayesian inference with STRUCTURE software suggested that more than 13% of the studied wolves had detectable dog ancestry and more than 10% of the dogs had detectable wolf ancestry. About 2-3% of the sampled wolves and dogs were identified, with a high probability, as first-generation hybrids. These results were supported by the relatedness analysis, which showed that 10% of wolves and 20% of dogs had closest relatives from an opposite group. The results of the study suggest that wolf-dog hybridization is a common event in the areas where large livestock guarding dogs are held in a traditional way, and that gene flow between dogs and gray wolves was an important force influencing gene pool of dogs for millennia since early domestication events. This process may have been terminated 1) in areas outside the natural range of gray wolves and 2) since very recent time, when humans started to more tightly control contacts of purebred dogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natia Kopaliani
- the Institute of Ecology, Ilia State University, 3/5 K. Cholokashvili Ave., Tbilisi 0162, Georgia
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Tarkhnishvili D, Murtskhvaladze M, Gavashelishvili A. Speciation in Caucasian lizards: climatic dissimilarity of the habitats is more important than isolation time. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David Tarkhnishvili
- Center of Biodiversity Studies; Institute of Ecology; Ilia State University; 3/5, K. Cholokashvili Ave.; Tbilisi; 0162; Georgia
| | - Marine Murtskhvaladze
- Center of Biodiversity Studies; Institute of Ecology; Ilia State University; 3/5, K. Cholokashvili Ave.; Tbilisi; 0162; Georgia
| | - Alexander Gavashelishvili
- Center of Biodiversity Studies; Institute of Ecology; Ilia State University; 3/5, K. Cholokashvili Ave.; Tbilisi; 0162; Georgia
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Serbinova I, Gavashelishvili A, Tarkhnishvili D. Modelling the range of Syrian spadefoot toad (Pelobates syriacus) with combination of GIS-based approaches. AMPHIBIA-REPTILIA 2009. [DOI: 10.1163/156853809788795137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
AbstractSyrian spadefoot toads (Pelobates syriacus) are found from Balkan Peninsula throughout the Caucasus, Middle East, and Northern Iran. However, the range of this species is sufficiently mapped only in Balkans. Based on the detailed mapping of the species in Georgia, we analysed the environmental factors influencing species occurrence and produced spatial models for the entire range. Nine models based on the logistic regression, discriminant function analysis, and classification tree analysis, all showed significant influence of the vegetation index and maximum summer temperature on the species distribution. The habitat suitability models based on the presence-only data (Mahalanobis distance estimation and Maximum Entropy approach) had a better performance than the models based on the presence-absence data. The habitat suitability models included two variables only, identified as significant in all preliminary analyses. The area identified as suitable by presence-only models strongly increases when a few environmental variables are included in the analysis. When only two variables are considered, the model predicted large areas north of the actual range. Competition with the related common spadefoot toad (P. fuscus) might have a role on the position of the northern limit of the range of P. syriacus. Within the predicted range, use of breeding sites is negatively associated with presence of fish. Breeding pond preferences of P. syriacus were particularly similar to those of the lake frog (Rana ridibunda), although the latter species uses appropriate habitats more extensively.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexander Gavashelishvili
- 2Centre of Biodiversity Studies, Faculty of Life Sciences, Ilia Chavchavadze State University, Chavchavadze Avenue 32, 0179 Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - David Tarkhnishvili
- 3Centre of Biodiversity Studies, Faculty of Life Sciences, Ilia Chavchavadze State University, Chavchavadze Avenue 32, 0179 Tbilisi, Georgia;,
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