The British Herpetological Society

The Herpetological Journal is the Society's prestigious quarterly scientific journal. Articles are listed in Biological Abstracts, Current Awareness in Biological Sciences,Current Contents, Science Citation Index, and Zoological Record.

 ISSN 0268-0130

2021 Impact Factor from Clarivate for the Herpetological Journal is 1.194, an increase of 0.332 from 2020.


pdf 05. The inter and intraspecific status of Aegean Mauremys rivulata (Chelonia, Bataguridae) as inferred by mitochondrial DNA sequences

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pp.35-45

Authors: Georgia Mantziou, Nikos Poulakakis, Petros Lymber Akis, Efstratlos Valakos And Moysis Mylonas

Abstract: The genus Mauremys (Chelonia, Bataguridae) is widely distributed throughout Asia, Europe and NW Africa. Three species ( Mauremys caspica, Mauremys rivulata and Mauremys leprosa) are discontinuously distributed around the Mediterranean region. Present distributions are much smaller than those documented with in the fossil record of Mauremys in the Mediterranean region. All three extant species are identified on the basis of morphology. In the present study we compare partial mitochondrial DNA sequences of cyt-b from J 6 populations of Mauremys rivulata from Greece, one from Jordan (M. rivulata), two from Syria (M. caspica) and one from Morocco (M. leprosa). Comparison of cyt-b partial sequences supports the monophyly of the three species considered, as well as their proposed taxonomic statu s ( i .e. separation at the species level). Mauremys leprosa is the most differentiated of the three, M. caspica and M. rivulata being more closely related. Climatic changes during the Pleistocene influenced the distribution of M. rivulata and resulted in a latitudinal oscillation of the populations in a north - south direction in Greece, and consequently in a mixing of their genetic material. This hypothesis is confirmed by the absence of correlation between genetic distances and geographical origin oft he specimens studied.

Keywords: Aegean region, cytochrome b, Mediterranean, phylogeography

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IMPORTANT NOTE - JUNE 2020

Please note that as from Volume 31 Number 1 (January 2021) on, the Herpetological Journal will be available as an online publication only - the last print edition will be Volume 30 Number 4.   

Aligning with this change, it is now no longer possible to purchase a subscription that includes a print copy of the HJ.  All members who have existing HJ print subscriptions that remain active as at end June 2020 will receive the full four 2020 print editions.  New subscribers or renewals after this time will only have option to subscribe to the online only subscription package.  Subscription pricing has been amended to reflect the content changes.

 

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