COI gene analyses of the Daghestan pine vole (Microtus daghestanicus Shidlovsky, 1919) population from northeastern Turkey

Abstract

Daghestan pine vole (Microtus daghestanicus Shidlovsky, 1919) is spread in Caucasia, Turkey and Northwestern Iran and distribution of this species is limited to Northeastern Anatolia in Turkey. Few molecular studies on M. daghestanicus have been performed so far, and it was analysed in this study with the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) region and compared with other Terricola species (Microtus subterraneus and Microtus majori) and other Microtus species found in its distribution area (Microtus arvalis and Microtus mystacinus). For this purpose, mean genetic distance values and fixation index values were calculated. Also, Bayesian Inference tree and Median-joining network were constructed. The acquired results showed that M. daghestanicus was clearly separated in the Pleistocene Period and was closer to M subterraneus than M. majori in the subgenus Terricola.