Genetic Structure and Relationships among Populations of the Caspian Bent-toed Gecko, Tenuidactylus caspius(Eichwald, 1831)(Sauria: Gekkonidae) in Northern Iran  

作　　者：Vida HOJATI Eskandar Rastegar POUYANI Kazem PARIVAR 

机构地区：[1]Department of Biology, Damghan Branch, Islamic Azad University [2]Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hakim Sabzevari University [3]Department of Biology, Tehran Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University

出　　处：《Asian Herpetological Research》2015年第4期331-338,共8页亚洲两栖爬行动物研究（英文版）

基　　金：supported by the Iran National Scientific Foundation(INSF) under proposal number of 89001493

摘　　要：The Caspian bent-toed gecko, Tenuidactylus caspius, belonging to the family Gekkonidae, is widely distributed across the northern half of Iran, especially along the southern coastal region of the Caspian Sea. It is regarded as a commensal species throughout its entire distribution. We investigated genetic variation and relationships among different populations of this species in Iran. Fragments of the mitochondrial cyt b（547 bp） and ND4（831 bp） genes were sequenced and analyzed in 64 and 28 specimens, respectively, from 21 geographically distant localities. Cyrtopodion scabrum was used as the outgroup taxon. The data showed no significant genetic variation within the populations of T. caspius in Iran. Nevertheless, populations of Khorasan and Semnan（especially Shahrood） in northeastern Iran showed greater divergence（p-distance = 2.1%） from other Iranian populations. The low genetic variation and homogeneous structure among populations of T. caspius on either side of the Elburz Mountains suggests that this species most likely has achieved its current distribution recently and as a result of anthropogenic activities.The Caspian bent-toed gecko, Tenuidactylus caspius, belonging to the family Gekkonidae, is widely distributed across the northern half of Iran, especially along the southern coastal region of the Caspian Sea. It is regarded as a commensal species throughout its entire distribution. We investigated genetic variation and relationships among different populations of this species in Iran. Fragments of the mitochondrial cyt b（547 bp） and ND4（831 bp） genes were sequenced and analyzed in 64 and 28 specimens, respectively, from 21 geographically distant localities. Cyrtopodion scabrum was used as the outgroup taxon. The data showed no significant genetic variation within the populations of T. caspius in Iran. Nevertheless, populations of Khorasan and Semnan（especially Shahrood） in northeastern Iran showed greater divergence（p-distance = 2.1%） from other Iranian populations. The low genetic variation and homogeneous structure among populations of T. caspius on either side of the Elburz Mountains suggests that this species most likely has achieved its current distribution recently and as a result of anthropogenic activities.

关 键 词：mtDNA Tenuidactylus caspius GEKKONIDAE phylogeny homogeneity Iranian Plateau. 

分 类 号：Q959[生物学—动物学]