Karyological and distributional contributions to Turkish rodent fauna (Mammalia: Rodentia) from islands in Aegean and Marmara Sea

• Main Authors: Perinçek Seçkinozan Şeker, Engin Selvi, Ercüment Çolak
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Artvin Çoruh Üniversitesi 2017-04-01
• Series: Artvin Çoruh Üniversitesi Orman Fakültesi Dergisi
• Subjects: Karyology; distribution; Mus; Apodemus; Rattus; islands; Turkey
• Online Access: http://ofd.artvin.edu.tr/issue/25618/277463
• ISSN: 2146-698X; 2146-698X

A chromosomal study on five different rodent species (Mus domesticus, Mus macedonicus, Apodemus sylvaticus, Apodemus witherbyi and Rattus rattus) from Gökçeada and Bozcaada in Aegean Sea and Marmara Island in Marmara Sea was performed to fill the deficiency of karyological information about island populations of these species. Diploid chromosome sets (2n) and fundamental numbers of chromosomal arms (NF) were determined to be 2n = 40, 40, 48, 48 and 38, NF = 40, 40, 48, 48 and 60 for M. domesticus, M. macedonicus, A. sylvaticus, A. witherbyi and R. rattus respectively. Results showed that there was no difference between karyological values in island and continental populations of those rodents, although Aegean and Marmara seas have served as geographic barriers for a long time between islands and mainland. In addition to the karyotypes of M. domesticus, M. macedonicus, A. sylvaticus and R. rattus, their presence in Marmara Islands were firstly determined by current study.