Allozyme Variations in the Genus Meriones (Gerbilinae: Rodentia) from Turkey

Allozymic variability of 24 loci was compared in the genus Meriones representing 5 species in Turkey. The phylogenetic relationship of these Meriones species was established according to the variations of twelve polymorphic loci (Aid, Ldh, alpha-Gpdh, Ca-1, Ca-2, Gpi, Me, Mpi, G6pdh, Ldh-1, Sod, Ak). According to the patterns of allozyme variation, the percentage of polymorphic loci was found to be 12.5 in Meriones crassus, 16.7 in Meriones persicus, 12.5 in Meriones tristrami, 18.7 in Meriones vinogradovi and 8.3 in Meriones dahli. Interspecific genetic distances were found to be high, ranging from 0.032 to 0.332. Neighbor-joining and UPGMA dendrograms showed that M tristrami and M crassus have a high genetic similarity. The most diverged one was appeared to be M vinogradovi. It was also concluded that the genus Meriones is not monophyletic since M persicus, which belongs to a different subgenus, was placed between the clades of M tristrami, M crassus and M vinogradovi.