Serological characterization and confirmation of the taxonomic status of <i>Montivipera albizona</i> (Serpentes, Viperidae) with an additional new locality record and some phylogenetical comments

Gocmen B., Arikan H., Yildiz M. Z., Mermer A., ALPAGUT KESKİN N.

ANIMAL BIOLOGY, cilt.59, sa.1, ss.87-96, 2009 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 59 Sayı: 1
  • Basım Tarihi: 2009
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1163/157075609x417116
  • Dergi Adı: ANIMAL BIOLOGY
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.87-96
  • Manisa Celal Bayar Üniversitesi Adresli: Hayır

Özet

This is the first record of the presence of Montivipera albizona (Nilson, Andren & Flardh 1990), in Kahramanmaras province, Mediterranean Region of Turkey. Here, one young male specimen was collected and is described. The present record of M albizona extends its known distribution (Kulmac Mountain Range, Sivas) some 250 km to the south-west, where the Anatolian Diagonal exhibits a bifurcation. Our data based on the electropheoretic analysis of blood-sera, indicate that the M. xanthina populations from the western Anatolia and M albizona distributed along the Anatolian Diagonal show significant differences, qualitatively and quantitatively. Accordingly, it is concluded that M albizona should not be included within the polymorphic species M. xanthina which lives in western Anatolia and therefore, it should be accepted as a valid species. Moreover, the actual distributions of the related taxa in Anatolia and the geographic structure of the Anatolian Diagonal were discussed. (C) Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2009.