Ferdowsi University of MashhadIranian Journal of Animal Biosystematics1735-434X7120110901Morphometric and meristic comparisons of populations of Qanat tailor fish, Alburnoides qanati Coad & Bogutskaya, 2009 (Actinopterygii: Cyprinidae) in Kor River basin Iran1112555610.22067/ijab.v7i1.25503ENHamid Reza EsmaeiliDepartment of Biology, College of Sciences, Shiraz University, Shiraz, IranN NazariDepartment of Biology, College of Sciences, Shiraz University, Shiraz, IranM SaifaliDepartment of Biology, Alzahra University, Tehran, IranA. GholamhosseiniDepartment of Biology, College of Sciences, Shiraz University, Shiraz, IranJournal Article20130907Inter- and intra-population variations of a recently described endemic cyprinid fish Alburnoides qanati Coad and Bogutskaya, 2009 collected from three localities in the Kor River basin, Iran, were studied by applying morphometric and meristic characters using canonical discriminate function analysis (DFA), principal component analysis (PCA) and<br />cluster analysis (CA). In DFA, the overall random assignment of individuals into their populations was 96.6% based on all the adjusted morphometric characters, 94.6% for meristic characters, and 100% based on both morphometric and meristic characters, indicating that the original grouped cases were correctly classified and they belonged to three morphologically distinct populations. The first principal component (PC) accounted for 16% and the second PC accounted for 15.8% of the shape variations among the samples. The Cluster analysis revealed a similar pattern of separation of one population from the others. The morphological heterogeneity observed in this species should be considered in conservation management and stock enhancement programs, especially during drought conditions in the region.Ferdowsi University of MashhadIranian Journal of Animal Biosystematics1735-434X7120110901Endemism in the reptile fauna of Iran2551910.22067/ijab.v7i1.25218ENAli GholamifardDepartment of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Razi University, Kermanshah 67149, IranJournal Article20130829Iran contains 36 named endemic reptile species in 17 genera and seven families. The
most endemic and speciose family is the Gekkonidae, followed by the Lacertidae. These
two families collectively dominate with 22 species (or 60.1%) of the total endemic
herpetofauna. Twenty one endemics are known only from a single location or restricted
area within a single physiographic region. An analysis of endemicity is given in terms of
systematics and distribution.Ferdowsi University of MashhadIranian Journal of Animal Biosystematics1735-434X7120110901Eight new records of bird species from North-Eastern Iran31472559410.22067/ijab.v7i1.25505ENMansour AliabadianDepartment of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran0000-0002-3200-4853S RiyahiDepartment of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, IranF GhorbaniDepartment of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, IranS Are SaetherCentre for Ecological and Evolutionary synthesis, Department of Biology, University of Oslo, NorwayMahmood GhasempouriDepartment of Environment, Faculty of Natural Resources and Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares UniversityGP SaetreCentre for Ecological and Evolutionary synthesis, Department of Biology, University of Oslo, NorwayJournal Article20130907During ornithological expedition to four provinces in the northeast and north of Iran in June 2009, a total of 117 bird species belonging to 14 orders and 40 families were recorded. Based on these records, eight bird species were found outside their presumed breeding range according to the available distribution maps covering Iran, suggesting that updating of the distribution maps should be provided.Ferdowsi University of MashhadIranian Journal of Animal Biosystematics1735-434X7120110901Morphological comparison of fourteen species of the genus Meriones Illiger, 1811 (Rodentia: Gerbillinae) from Asia and North Africa49742562110.22067/ijab.v7i1.25506ENJamshid DarvishRodentology Research Department, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, IranJournal Article20130907Genus Meriones is the dominant member of gerbils in the Palaearctic region, particularly in aride region of Asia. This is also one of the most typical genus of subfamily Gerbillinae with about 17 morphospecies namely: M. persicus, M. hurrianae, M. zarudnyi M. vinogradovi, M. meridianus, M. libycus, M. crassus, M. tristrami, M. rex, M. tamariscinus, M. unguiculatus, M. shawi, M. grandis, M. sacramenti, M.dahli, M.chengi, M.arimalius . Of which first eight species have been recorded from the Iranian Plateau. There are minor differences between some species and hence, interspecific discrimination of specimens from each species is not always possible, even by polytechnic methods using different taxonomic characters such as tympanic bullae, suprameatal triangle and external characters on material from<br />museums and dental characters on archeozoological materials. Here, 26 morphological characters of 384 museum specimens belonging to 14 morphospecies of Meriones from North Africa, Iran and Central Asia were studied. This study review, 14 species of Meriones and based on the results, it seems that M.libycus, M. crassus and M. meridianus are complex species and need taxonomic revision. The cladistics analysis shows that M. vinogradovi could be forming ancestral species of genus Meriones, and west of Caspian Sea could be the center of origin for Meriones. Due to the presence of convergence regarding adaptation of different species of Meriones to similar environment, subgeneric morphological characters may cause homoplasies and paraphyletic subgenera the analysis of morphological character states matrix, using Mix program of Phylip shows different four clades that did not conform to the nominative subgenera and unveil probable homoplasy. Ferdowsi University of MashhadIranian Journal of Animal Biosystematics1735-434X7120110901Biosystematic analysis of genus Rattus (Rodentia: Murinae) in Iran using total proteins of plasma and esterase-175822566010.22067/ijab.v7i1.25507ENR Attar-YazdiDepartment of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, IranMaryam Moghaddam MatinDepartment of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran0000-0002-7949-7712Razieh JalalDeparrment of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, IranJournal Article20130907Genus Rattus from the subfamily Murinae has a wide geographical distribution throughout the world. Three species of this genus have been reported in Iran so far. They are Norway or brown rat (Rattus norvegicus), black rat (Rattus rattus), and Himalayan rat (Rattus pyctoris). In order to verify the possibility of using electrophoretic patterns of special proteins, in biosystematic analysis of these species, total proteins of plasma (globulins and albumin) and esterse-1 of nine specimens belonging to three species of Rattus, from five populations were analyzed by native-PAGE (native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis). Electrophoretic patterns of globulins, albumin, and esterase-1 alleles were different in these species and an unknown species was distinguished by this technique. Also, brown rats from Tehran and Mashhad were discriminated by these methods.Ferdowsi University of MashhadIranian Journal of Animal Biosystematics1735-434X7120110901Distribution of the subgenus Acridophaga Reuss, 1927 (Serpentes: Viperidae) in Iran83872553610.22067/ijab.v7i1.25508ENMahdi RajabizadehDepartment of Biodiversity, International Center for Science, High Technology and Environmental Sciences, Kerman, Iran0000-0002-6661-799XG NilsonGöteborg Natural History Museum, PO Box 7283, S-40235 Göteborg, SwedenHaji Gholi KamiDepartment of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Golestan University, Gorgan, IranAR NaderiSection of Entomology, Department of the Environment, Tehran, IranJournal Article20130907