First inventory of aphyllophoroid basidiomycetes of Zagros forests,W Iran

Zagros is a mountainous region in Western Asia, extending roughly along the western borders of Iran. Knowledge on aphyllophoroid fungi in the region is very scanty, and no survey has been made in the area. As part of an inventory of aphyllophoroids in selected protected areas in Zagros region, 32 species belonging to 6 orders, 11 families, and 25 genera are reported for the first time from Zagros. Botryobasidium robustius, Corticium endoxylon, C. erikssonii, C. lombardiae, C. meridioroseum, Eichleriella leucophaea, Phellinus rimosus, Phlebia bresadolae, and Sanghuangporus lonicerinus are newly reported from Iran. The nuclear ribosomal ITS barcode sequences are provided for 14 species (including five species sequenced for the first time), and 28S rDNA LSU sequences are given for three species. Most of the identified species belong to the orders Polyporales and Hymenochaetales.     

Identification of the areas of endemism (AOEs) of the genus Acantholimon (Plumbaginaceae) in Iran

Abstract

This study was conducted to identify areas of endemism for Acantholimon species using parsimony analysis of endemicity (PAE) and to detect endemic species richness of the genus in the region. The results obtained from the two methods used in this study were used in determining the priorities for the conservation of Acantholimon species in Iran. The distribution database of 62 endemic species belonging to this genus was formed by 1250 georeferenced observations in Iran. The study area was divided into 1?×1? grids of operative geographical units (OGUs) and the species?×?area matrix including presence/absence data was created. The endemic species richness was calculated using circular neighborhood with a radius of 50?km in 10?×?10?km² raster cells using DIVA-GIS software. The results of PAE analysis have shown four areas of endemism (AOEs) in Iran. AOE1: including Alborz and Zagros mountains, the mountains of central Iran. AOE2 and AOE3 are located in Khorassan subregion and AOE4 contains parts of western Iran. The map of endemic species richness indicated that the highest number of endemic species occurs in central Alborz region as well as Kerman, Chahar-Mahal and Bakhtiari, and Isfahan provinces.     

Occurrence of the Brown-necked Raven,Corvus ruficollis,at Cizre in Eastern Turkey

An adult male of Maynard's Longnose Sand Snake (Lytorhynchus maynardi) was collected on 24 July 2009 from the east of Sistan and Baluchistan Province in south-eastern Iran. The new locality is the westernmost record of this species in western Asia, and the first record for 42 years from Iran. Information on the geographic distribution of the genus Lytorhynchus Peters, 1863 in Iran, comparative morphology and some ecological data are presented here.     

Contrbtion to the biology of Zagros tooth-carp, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aphanius vladykovi</Emphasis> (Cyprinodontidae) in central Iran

We studied some aspects of the biology of the Zagros tooth-carp, Aphanius vladykovi, an endemic and poorly known species from Chahar-Mahall-va-Bakhtiari province in central Iran, by regular monthly collections and direct observation in aquaria over a full year. We collected individuals from Modar-Dokhtar spring of Gandoman region; we preserved some in formalin and transferred some alive to aquaria. The stomach contents consisted mostly of freshwater crustaceans, suggesting a carnivorous habit. The eggs had an average diameter of 1mm and the average absolute and relative fecundity was 415 and 110, respectively. The gonadosomatic ratio and ovary condition suggested that the reproductive season of the species was between late March and June with a peak in early April. The species is euryhaline and eurythermal and prefers neutral to basic waters. It is usually found in well-oxygenated waters, but is tolerant of hypoxia as well.     

Modelling the potential distribution of the Bridled Skink,Trachylepis vittata (Olivier, 1804), in the Middle East

The Bridled Skink, Trachylepis vittata, is widespread in the Middle East and eastern coastal Mediterranean areas and inhabits foothills throughout the arid regions of the Middle East. With the help of more than 146 distribution records from Iran, Turkey, Syria, Israel, Jordan, Cyprus, Egypt, Lebanon and Libya, we analysed the influence of climate on the distribution pattern. According to the Maximum Entropy model, the most influential factors that determined T. vittata distribution are: precipitation of coldest quarter, Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and precipitation in the warmest quarter. The model suggests that the western slopes of the Zagros Mountains in Iran and slopes in the southern regions of Anatolia around the Mediterranean Sea are suitable for this species. The species is associated with areas with intermediate NDVI (150-180) (a measure of primary productivity), high winter precipitation (>300?mm) and dry summer (<50mm). The association with rainy winter limits the presence of the species in lowlands. The Zagros Mountains may act as a biogeographic barrier that limits the species dispersal eastward, because of their scarce precipitation.     

Alpine–Himalayan orogeny drove correlated morphological,molecular, and ecological diversification in the Persian dwarf snake (Squamata: Serpentes: Eirenis persicus)

The Persian dwarf snake Eirenis (Pseudocyclophis) persicus (Anderson, 1872) has a wide distribution range in south‐western Asia. This species group was comprehensively studied here using traditional biometry, geometric morphometrics, ecological niche modelling, and genetics. Our analyses revealed that E. persicus is split into two clades. A western clade, bearing at least two different species: E. persicus, distributed in south‐western Iran, and an undescribed species from south‐eastern Turkey and western Iran. The eastern clade consists of at least three species: Eirenis nigrofasciatus, distributed across north‐eastern Iraq, and western and southern Iran; Eirenis walteri, distributed across eastern Iran, southern Turkmenistan, and western and southern Pakistan, and Eirenis angusticeps, distributed in north‐eastern Pakistan. Ecological niche modelling revealed that the distribution of the species in the western clade are mainly affected by winter precipitation, and those in the eastern clade are mainly affected by the minimum temperature of the coldest month. A molecular clock analysis revealed that the divergence and diversification of the E. persicus species group mainly correspond to Eocene to Pliocene orogeny events subsequent to the Arabia–Eurasia collision. This study confirms that specimens with the unique morphology of having 13 dorsal scale rows on the anterior dorsum, occurring in the Suleiman Mountains in central Pakistan, can be referred to Eirenis mcmahoni (Wall, 1911). However, at this moment we have insufficient data to evaluate the taxonomy of this species.     

Application of molecular markers to assess genetic relationships among accessions of wild oat,Avena sterilis

Summary The Avena sterilis collection in the National Small Grains Collection (NSGC) is an invaluable source of genetic variation to be exploited by oat breeding programs. Prior knowledge of the structure and distribution of genetic variation within the A. sterilis collection would be useful to efficiently screen the collection for valuable traits. To determine genetic structure within a subset of the collection, restriction fragment length polymorphisms were analyzed in a stratified sample of 173 accessions originating in eight countries of Africa and Southwest Asia. Of the 48 probes used for this study 43 detected polymorphism among accessions. The average number of RFLP patterns per probe ranged from 2.9 among Ethiopian accessions to 3.7 among those from Iran. Genetic variation, as measured by genetic distances and polymorphic indexes, was highest in Iran and lowest in Ethiopia. The probability of drawing a genotype from Iran or Iraq that is not present in the more western regions was high, indicating large genetic divergence of the Iran-Iraq accessions from the other regional collections surveyed. Cluster analysis of genetic distances and probabilities of unique genotypes clearly differentiated the eastern region (Iran and Iraq) from the western region (Algeria, Ethiopia, Israel, Lebanon, Morocco, and Syria). The western region could be further subdivided into two clusters, an African cluster (Algeria, Ethiopia, and Morocco) and a southwestern Asia cluster (Israel, Lebanon, and Syria). Genetic distances were generally related to but not proportional to geographical distances.     

Phylogeny,biogeography and divergence times of Astragalus section Incani DC. (Fabaceae) inferred from nrDNA ITS and plastid rpl32‐trnL(UAG) sequences

Astragalus sect. Incani, one of the most species‐rich sections of Astragalus with ca 140 species, is well known for its taxonomic complexity resulting from overlapping morphological characters and high phenotypic plasticity. Its main centers of diversity are in Iran and Turkey with about 120 species. Using nrDNA ITS and plastid rpl32‐trnL_(UAG) markers, we reconstructed the phylogeny of members of the section by means of maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, Bayesian, Beast and S‐DIVA analyses. This is the first comprehensive work on the section Incani covering its full geographic range. All members of the section (including A. subsecundus) except A. platyphyllus formed a well‐supported clade (Incani s.s.). Within the section, two major groups with different geographic distribution were detected. One group includes nine examined species restricted to eastern Iran and Central Asia and the other group comprises a majority of the species from west and northwestern Iran, Turkey and southern Europe. The Divergence time analysis suggests that Incani s.s. originated in the late Pliocene and a majority of the speciation events dates to the last 1–1.5 Myr. This indicates that the recent diversification of Incani s.s. coincided with climatic changes during the Pliocene and Pleistocene and was followed by complex biogeographical processes in which dispersal have been vital for shaping the current distribution pattern . The S‐DIVA suggested a predominantly east–west route of dispersal from an origin in the east, and a major phylogenetic split between eastern and western lineages. However, the geographical distribution of A. monspessulanus/A. incanus and A. ackerbergensis/A. gueldenstaedtiae does not correspond to their phylogenetic positions. The former species are restricted to southern Europe/North Africa, but belong in two distinct subclades. The latter, restricted to northeastern Iran are phylogenetically close to species of western and northwestern Iran and Turkey. Astragalus sykesiae is resurrected as a distinct species separated from a broadly defined A. mercklinii.     

Collophora hispanica,a New Pathogen and Potential Threat to the Almond Industry in Iran

Trunk diseases are potential threats for almond productivity and longevity worldwide, including Iran. In a recent survey on fungal species associated with trunk diseases of almonds in north‐western Iran, Collophora isolates (tentatively identified as Collophora hispanica) were recovered with high frequency from wood samples with internal necrosis and brown to black vascular streaking of almond trees showing symptoms of decline. However, the pathogenic potential of Collophora isolates on almond trees in Iran remains unproven. In this study, the identity of the isolates was further confirmed as C. hispanica based on a combination of morphological data and sequence data of ITS‐rDNA region, and pathogenicity of C. hispanica isolates on almond was evaluated using excised shoot method and in greenhouse experiments. Collophora hispanica isolates induced lesions statistically different from the control, in both excised shoot method and greenhouse assays. Significant differences were observed among the isolates in the length of the lesion induced on wood. Collophora hispanica should be considered as the main trunk pathogens of almond trees in north‐western region of Iran. The distribution and host range of this new pathogen on almond remains to be studied.     

First record of Miocene crustaceans from Hormozgan Province,Southern Iran

Four decapod crustacean species from the Middle Miocene Mishan Formation of Hormozgan Province, Southern Iran are described. Three species of leucosiid crabs represent the first fossil record for their respective genera outside the Indo-Pacific region. The oldest records for Leucosia sensu lato, Phylira sensu lato, and Arcania are from Middle Miocene deposits of the Indo-Pacific, and thus their paleobiogeographic distribution is extended for this lapse of time. Harpactocarcinus miocenicus n. sp. represents the youngest and most oriental occurrence for a typically Eocene genus, whose species are known mainly from Central Europe. This contribution represents the first formal report for Tertiary crustaceans from Iran.     

Aphanius vladykovi,a new species of tooth-carp from the Zagros Mountains of Iran (Osteichthyes: Cyprinodontidae)

Synopsis A new species of tooth-carp, Aphanius vladykovi, is described from the Zagros Mountains of Iran. The new species is uniquely characterised by a high count of lateral line scales and by different pigmentation patterns from its closest, putative relative A. sophiae. It also possesses several meristic and morphometric differences with topotypic A. sophiae. It became separated from a common ancestor with A. sophiae by orogenic events which led to the formation of the Zagros Mountains and the isolation of the upper reaches of the Karun River basin by the development of tangs, narrow passes through the mountains with high water flow and steep gradient which prevent gene flow between lowland and mountain populations of these small fishes.     

Phylogeny,Diversity, Distribution,and Host Specificity of Haemoproteus spp. (Apicomplexa: Haemosporida: Haemoproteidae) of Palaearctic Tortoises

A complex wide‐range study on the haemoproteid parasites of chelonians was carried out for the first time. Altogether, 811 samples from four tortoise species from an extensive area between western Morocco and eastern Afghanistan and between Romania and southern Syria were studied by a combination of microscopic and molecular‐genetic methods. Altogether 160 Haemoproteus‐positive samples were gathered in the area between central Anatolia and eastern Afghanistan. According to variability in the cytochrome b gene, two monophyletic evolutionary lineages were distinguished; by means of microscopic analysis it was revealed that they corresponded to two previously described species—Haemoproteus anatolicum and Haemoproteus caucasica. Their distribution areas overlap only in a narrow strip along the Zagros Mts. range in Iran. This fact suggests the involvement of two different vector species with separated distribution. Nevertheless, no vectors were confirmed. According to phylogenetic analyses, H. caucasica represented a sister group to H. anatolicum, and both of them were most closely related to H. pacayae and H. peltocephali, described from South American river turtles. Four unique haplotypes were revealed in the population of H. caucasica, compared with seven haplotypes in H. anatolicum. Furthermore, H. caucasica was detected in two tortoise species, Testudo graeca and Testudo horsfieldii, providing evidence that Haemoproteus is not strictly host‐specific to the tortoise host species.     

Diversification and subspecies patterning of the goitered gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa) in Iran

Goitered gazelles, Gazella subgutturosa, exist in arid and semiarid regions of Asia from the Middle to the Far East. Although large populations were present over a vast area until recently, a decline of the population as a result of hunting, poaching, and habitat loss led to the IUCN classification of G. subgutturosa as “vulnerable." We examined genetic diversity, structure, and phylogeny of G. subgutturosa using mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences from 18 geographically distant populations in Iran. The median‐joining network of cyt b haplotypes indicated that three clades of goitered gazelles can be distinguished: a Middle Eastern clade west of the Zagros Mountains (and connected to populations in Turkey and Iraq), a Central Iranian clade (with connection to Azerbaijan), and an Asiatic clade in northeastern Iran (with connection to Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and other Asian countries as far as northeastern China and Mongolia). Based on our results, we argue that Iran is the center of diversification of goitered gazelles, due to the presence of large mountain ranges and deserts that lead to the separation of populations. In accordance with previous morphological studies, we identified the Asiatic clade as the subspecies G. s. yarkandensis, and the other two clades as the nominate form G. s. subgutturosa. The new genetic information for goitered gazelles in Iran provides the basis for future national conservation programs of this species.     

Long‐term survival and diversification of an endemic Melitaea species in mountains of Iran and adjacent areas

Disjunct distribution patterns regularly resulted in the separation of different genetic lineages in glacial refugia. Recent patterns of survival and expansion have been often revealed by climatic niche modelling. We used the combination of genetic markers, geometric morphometry and climatic niche modelling to clear up the taxonomy and reconstruct the potential range of an endemic Iranian, taxonomically disputed Melitaea species in climatically different epochs. Our results show that this species (Melitaea abbas Gross and Ebert 1975, comb. n. = M. zagrosi Tóth and Varga syn. nova) is clearly separated from all taxa of the Melitaea phoebe species group and only occurs in Iran and Azerbaijan but were also predicted for some adjacent regions. Molecular markers and distribution modelling show consistently that this species should have had a long‐term survival in this area, and its range could have been slightly larger during the last glacial maximum than currently. Based on the studied molecular markers, three main groups in M. abbas can be recognized: those of steppic area of Azerbaijan, western Iran and northeastern Iran. Each group is characterized by own mitochondrial haplotypes, but also a high level of genetic diversity appears in the central part of the distribution area (Zagros Mts.).     

A new lobster <Emphasis Type="Italic">Paraclytia valashtensis</Emphasis> (Crustacea,Decapoda, Nephropidae) from the Late Cretaceous of the central Alborz Range,Iran

A new species of Late Cretaceous clawed lobster, Paraclytia valashtensis, is described. The discovery is a notable addition to the sparse decapod fossil record of Iran, and this is the first record of the genus outside central Europe. The four previously known species of Paraclytia are from Germany and the Czech Republic, so this discovery represents a significant expansion of the palaeogeographic range of the genus.     

Truncatella angustata associated with grapevine trunk disease in northern Iran

In recent years, grapevine trunk diseases have gained growing attentions due to worldwide incidence of the disease. In a survey on fungal agents associated with grapevine trunk diseases in northern Iran, wood samples were collected from grapevines having the symptoms of declination. Isolation was made using routine plant pathology methods. A coelomycetous fungus with appendage-bearing conidia was recovered from symptomatic tissues. Based on morphological and cultural characteristics, the causal agent of the disease was identified as Truncatella angustata. The identity of the species was further confirmed by sequence data of internal transcribed spacer-rDNA region. A phylogeny inferred using sequence data obtained in this study, together with the sequences from GenBank, clustered our isolates together with T. angustata known from other host plant species. Pathogenicity tests performed on detached shoots of grapevines led to the same symptoms as observed in field conditions. This is first study on the pathogenicity of T. angustata on grapevine in Iran and first report on the occurrence of T. angustata on grapevine in Iran.     

Discovery of an oak gall wasp (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) inducing galls on deciduous oak trees in India

We report for the first time the occurrence of an oak gall wasp Andricus mukaigawae (Mukaigawa) (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) on the deciduous oak Quercus griffithii Hook. F & Thomson ex Miq. in India. Andricus mukaigawae is the only cynipid species that has been observed to induce galls on deciduous oak species in India to date. In addition, this is the first record of a gall wasp species with a distribution extending all the way from the eastern Palearctic region to the Indian subcontinent, suggesting the existence of a close relationship between cynipid faunas on deciduous oak trees in the two regions.     

Colonization of Northern Europe by Zygaena filipendulae (Lepidoptera)

Northern and mountainous ice sheets have expanded and contracted many times due to ice ages. Consequently, temperate species have been confined to refugia during the glacial periods wherefrom they have recolonized warming northern habitats between ice ages. In this study, we compare the gene CYP405A2 between different populations of the common burnet moth Zygaena filipendulae from across the Western Palearctic region to illuminate the colonization history of this species. These data show two major clusters of Z. filipendulae populations possibly reflecting two different refugial populations during the last ice age. The two types of Z. filipendulae only co‐occur in Denmark, Sweden, and Scotland indicating that Northern Europe comprise the hybridization zone where individuals from two different refugia met after the last ice age. Bayesian phylogeographic and ecological clustering analyses show that one cluster probably derives from an Alpe Maritime refugium in Southern France with ancestral expansive tendencies to the British Isles in the west, touching Northern Europe up to Denmark and Sweden, and extending throughout Central Europe into the Balkans, the Peleponnes, and South East Europe. The second cluster encompasses East Anatolia as the source area, from where multiple independent dispersal events to Armenia, to the Alborz mountains in north‐western Iran, and to the Zagros mountains in western Iran are suggested. Consequently, the classical theory of refugia for European temperate species in the Iberian, Italian, and Balkan peninsulas does not fit with the data from Z. filipendulae populations, which instead support more Northerly, mountainous refugia.     

Evolutionary history of the Persian Jird,Meriones persicus,based on genetics,species distribution modelling and morphometric data

The Persian Jird, Meriones persicus, is distributed from Eastern Anatolia to Afghanistan and western Pakistan. Six subspecies were described based on skull features and coat colours, but the validity of these subspecies is uncertain, and no molecular work has ever been conducted on this species. Iran appears to be a key geographical region in which to revise the systematic and evolutionary history of this species, because five of the six subspecies are present in this country. To evaluate the phylogeographical history and taxonomy of this species in Iran, we used a combination of genetic (cytochrome b gene sequences of 70 specimens) and geometric morphometric (2D landmarks on the ventral side of skull of 258 specimens) analyses. We also used ecological niche modelling to make inferences about the evolutionary history of these lineages. Our molecular data highlight the existence of four genetic lineages, but they only partly correspond to the previously described subspecies. Our molecular and morphometric data confirm the validity of M. p. rossicus and show that it has a wider geographical range than previously thought. M. p. gurganensis and M. p. baptistae are genetically very close. The skull of M. p. gurganensis is morphologically distinguishable from other subspecies. The subspecies M. p. persicus and M. p. baptistae are genetically distinct, but morphologically close. Meriones p. ambrosius is genetically close to M. p. persicus, and additional analyses with more specimens are needed to validate its subspecific status. The genetic structure observed in Iran seems to fit the topography and biogeography of the country and emphasize the role of the Abarkooh, Central and Lut deserts as barriers to gene flow. All intraspecific divergent events within the Persian Jird occurred during the last 1.4 My, suggesting that climatic changes probably trigger diversification within this species. Our genetic and species niche modelling results suggest that potential refugial areas persisted during glacial periods for this species in north‐western Zagros Mountains, north‐eastern Alborz Mountains and Kohrud Mountains.