Genetic differentiation among the mitochondrial haplogroups of Caspian Pond Turtle, a case study in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province of Iran

Obtaining reliable genetic information (e.g., genetic difference and evolutionary divergence) is among the most important requirements for wildlife populations management and protection. One of the methods to investigate the level of genetic and evolutionary divergence within populations or between different individuals is the calculation of various statistics, including estimation of genetic distances. We sequenced a part of the mitochondrial genome (the whole cytochrome b gene) of 12 sampled Caspian pond turtles (Mauremys caspica) throughout Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province (Iran), where a dataset comprising a total number of 41 sequences belonging to Caspian pond turtles was included in the analyses. According to the findings, the greatest genetic distance (Kimura-2-parameter model) was estimated to be between Caspian pond turtles belonged to eastern cluster and western cluster (0.012) as well as between turtles of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province and western cluster (0.011). The genetic distance between turtles of this area and the eastern cluster was estimated to be 0.003. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) between the three above mentioned groups (eastern cluster, western cluster, and the studied area) showed the genetic difference between the identified groups (47.76%) is less than genetic difference within these groups. In the following, in order to obtain a better classification, the sequences of the studied area were combined with eastern cluster sequences and two groups were used in the analysis of AMOVA (eastern cluster and western cluster). AMOVA showed the genetic difference between the identified groups (59.78%) is more than genetic difference within these groups. Additionally, the fixation index (FST) confirms the existence of a significant genetic structure between the two identified groups of pond turtle

کلیدواژه ها:

Genetic distance ، Mauremys caspica ، Chaharmahal ، Bakhtiari