نشریه تاکسونومی و بیوسیستماتیک
سال ششم شماره 3 (پیاپی 20، پاییز 1393)

This study was carried out for genetic diversity of Afghan Pika (Ochotona rufescens) among four different populations in Northern Khorasan Province using D-Loop region of mitochondrial gene. The sixteen specimens were trapped from four different sanctuaries (Ghorkhod، Golol-Sarani، Salouk and Sarigol) and transferred to Laboratory. The intra and inter population genetic factors (haplotype and nucleotide diversity، haplotype differentiation among populations، Fst، Nm، gamma distribution parameter، mismatch distribution، Tajima''D neutrality test and Isolation by distance) were estimated and the results were compared among the populations. Finally، data set with 483 bp was used for each individual. The results showed 25 polymorphic، 457 conserved sites and 10 different haplotypes. The low value of Fst (Fst=0. 21، P<0. 05) among populations based on D-Loop region of mitochondrial gene showed that genetic differentiation among populations were low and gene flow between populations were high. Mantel test (10000 irritations) showed that the relationship between distance and genetic matrix among all individuals (r=0. 172، P=0. 057) and among populations (r=-0. 64، P=0. 159) were not significance and IBD did not occur. Discrete gamma distribution for estimating heterogeneity rate among populations was 200 which indicated low mutation or heterogeneity rate among the four populations. The Rogers-Harpending index for mismatch distribution (0. 08، P>0. 5) and Tajima ''D test (0. 37، P>0. 1) showed no population expansion and relatively stable population sizes.

The concept of species might be interpreted in many different ways. This has impressed both the process of introducing new species and the revision of morphological species classification. According to recent studies، about 65 morphological species have been recognized for the tribe of Arvicolini. However، molecular investigations show that some of the morphological species might not be valid and some others should be subdivided into several species. In the present study، 38 morphological species of the Arvicolini tribe inhabiting in the northern hemisphere were investigated using 823 sequences of cytochrome b gene (1140 base pairs). The research of intra-interspecific genetic distances and haplotype network analysis were carried out for dataset. The Bayesian tree demonstrated 64 haplotype networks in our data. Such results might support the validity of some of the studied morphological species and، on the other hand، might discover unknown species and thus، contribute to the integrative species concept.

Banana shrimp Fenneropenaeus merguiensis is one of the most important shrimp species in the Persian Gulf compromising about 60% of total shrimp catch in Hormozgan Province. Regarding the importance of banana shrimp in fisheries industry، phylogeny and genetic structure of the population of this in Laft and Sirik estuaries in the Persian Gulf was investigated using mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Results of 16S rRNA gene sequencing of 10 shrimps including 448 aligned base pairs yielded one monomorphic locus، 447 polymorphic loci and seven haplotypes. No insertions and deletions were observed. F- statistic parameter at 95% level of confidence was 0. 14 and was not significant between the two populations (P value= 0. 08). Phylogenetic trees did not show a differentiated geographical structure between the two regions. Mean values of Tajima’s D and Fu’s Fs between the regions were 2. 61 and 10. 33، respectively. Insignificant values of these tests are indicative of no expansion of F. merguiensis population between the two regions. Haplotype and nucleotide diversity of the shrimps were 0. 933 ± 0. 004 and 0. 802 ± 0. 672، respectively for the two regions. The results of this study revealed that F. merguiensis populations of Laft and Sirik estuaries had high levels of genetic diversity but regarding the value of F- statistic parameter and its significance level، the existence of genetically similar populations could not be deducted with high level of confidence. The results of present study could be considered in fisheries management for restocking programs and conservation of genetic diversity of populations.

Mesostigmatic mites of the subcohort Dermanyssiae (Monogynaspida: Gamasina) are mostly free living predators that have important roles in edaphic ecosystems and food-chains. A faunistic survey was carried out on edaphic Dermanyssiae in northwestern area of Kerman Province during 2011–2012. The samples were taken from habitats randomly. A total of 25 species belonging to 21 genera، 12 families and 6 superfamilies were collected and identified from which Rhodacarus coronatus (Berlese) was regarded as the first record of the species from Iran. Among the collected specimens، Macrochelidae had the highest relative frequency (30. 2%) and the families Laelapidae and Melicharidae with 28. 8% and 15. 7% frequencies، respectively، were situated in the next ranks.

Chironomidae (Diptera) which are distributed worldwide، are the most abundant and diverse insects in many freshwater ecosystems، as well as inland waters of Iran. However، very few researches were done for identification of this group in Iran، and there is a poor knowledge of their faunal diversity distribution in this country. To investigate chironomid larvae in Marbor river، Isfahan Province، seasonal samplings were done (2003-2004) in five selected sites along the river course، using Dredge sampler 3 times for every site. After collecting، the samples were preserved in formaldehyde at the site. Samples were sorted out in laboratory and the Chironomidae larvae were identified down to the generic level using the identification keys، and light and phase-contrast microscopes. Results revealed 39 genera from four subfamilies in Marbor River: Chironominae (15 genera)، Diamesinae (2 genera)، Orthocladiinae (17 genera) and Tanypodinae (5 genera). From these، 13 genera were reported for the first time in Iran. An identification key for the taxon in Marbor river was provided.

The males and females of Colorado beetles do not reveal clear dimorphism and therefore they have high resemblance so that recognition of the sexes by simple eye is too difficult. In order to study sexual dimorphism in Colorado beetle، three geographical populations were collected from potato fields in Ardabil، Bahar and Hamedan regions by manual method and direct observation in the summer of 2012. Fore and hind wings were separated and 7 and 8 landmarks were orderly selected for the fore and hind wings at the end and angle of veins. Geometric coordinate of landmarks were converted to shape and size variables as comparison factors between the sexes. Wings relative variations were determined separately in male and female and it revealed variations of wing shape in evolutionary process. Multivariate analysis based on the results of regression of shape variables showed fore wing had allometry and hind wing had not allometry. Two way MANOVA analysis was conducted for observation of shape differences (base on average of shape variables) and size differences. The analysis showed that there were significant differences in shape of fore wing between the sexes.

In this research، pollen grains of some species of Grumorsae group of Ranunculus were studied. In doing so، pollen grains of 13 species were studied by light microscope and the surface of nine pollen grains has studied by Scanning Electron Microscope. Among these species، in addition to previous pollen types in the genus Ranunculus، a new type (Thalictrum flavum L.) was reported. Finally، we could distinguish the species based on pollen grains characters and prepare an identification key.

The Ghareche region with about 9000 hectares، is located in northeast of Khorasan and 45 km northwest of Quchan. Elevation range varies between 1310 and 2300 m above sea level. Mean annual precipitation and temperature is 319. 1 mm and 13˚C، respectively. In order to identify the flora، life form and chorology، plants of the region were collected during the growing seasons of 2011 and 2012. A total number of 396 vascular plant species belonging to 252 genera and 62 plant families were identified from the region. The largest plant families with highest number of species in the region included: Asteraceae (63 species)، Fabaceae (32 species)، Brassicaceae (28 species)، Lamiaceae (25 species) and Apiaceae (22 species). Astragalus with 14 species، Centaurea، Cousinia and Euphorbia each with 7 species، Rosa with 6 species and Convolvulus and Silene each with 5 species، were the genera with the highest number of species. The main life forms were: Hemicryptophytes with 43%، Therophytes with 28%، Chamaephytes with 12%، Geophytes with 11% and Phanerophytes with 6%. The high percentage of Hemicryptophytes indicated that the region had a cold mountain climate. The largest proportion of the chorological elements belonged to Irano-Turanian floristic region (60. 55%)، followed by Pluriregional elements (12. 21%)، which indicated that the area was strongly influenced by Irano-Turanian floristic elements. Two species، including Colchicum soboliferum and Ranunculus caucasicus، were identified and recorded for the first time in Khorasan Razavi Province.

This study focused on Zarabad، Cheraghabad and Nogombecom plants of sub-basin watershed city of Chabahar، Iran. The studied flora included 78 species which belonged to 66 genera and 29 families. Poaceae with 16 genera and 19 species، Asteraceae with 7 genera and 8 species، Chenopodiaceae with 5 genera and 4 species، Papilionaceae، with 5 genera and 6 species، constituted the largest plant families respectively. The largest genera of the region were: Salsola، Heliotropium and Plantago، respectively. 42% of the flora belonged to Nobo-Sindian elements، 35%to Irano-Turanian، 18%were bioregional elements and 5% of the species were cosmopolitan. Flora of the studied area، included therophytes (56%)، chamaephytes (15%)، phanerophytes (14%)، geophytes (12%) and hemicryptophytes (3%).

Precision and certitude of plant scientific names in floristic inventories are requisites for their validity and applicability in software systems to reach a higher level in floristics knowledge. This paper introduces and makes available an open source software entitled “CheckName”. CheckName software comprises a list of scientific names for plants of Iran، which is obtained via integration and correction of published floristic lists in Iran. The list is held in the checname software and helps to integrate unpublished floristic inventories or for making new floristic lists. In making new floristic lists، scientific names are chosen from a list and the addition of authorities and protologue، or reporting the sorted lists would be performed by the software. In correcting an inventory of plant names، the program will correct the list for typing issues and parses each line of the list into genus and species and checks for correctness of their spelling. If a scientific name is not verified، the correct spelling might be suggested. Other applications of this software includes the online connection to IPNI، TROPICOS، NCBI، PubMed databases to receive relevant information for each name.

Carduus L. of the genus Compositae include about 90 species which are distributed mainly in the Europe، Asia and Africa as the three major centers of diversity of Carduus. About 8 species of Carduus are distributed in Iran among which 1 species is endemic. In this study، 45 quantitative and qualitative morphological characters from vegetative and reproductive parts were considered and evaluated in 37 populations of 8 species of Carduus from different localities in Iran. The aim of this study was to evaluate the species relationship in Iran. To evaluate the species relationships، cluster analysis and ordination based on principal component analysis and PCO were implemented. Statistical analysis indicated that characters as Capitulum shape، Capitulum length، phillary bract spine length، phillary bract width، number of rows phillary bract، number of phillary bract، involucre length، involucres width، length to width ratio involucres had the most important role as diagnostic characters in inter-genus variation. Based on statistical results and diagnostic characters، an identification key was provided for Carduus species in Iran.