The Effect of Geographical Isolation on the Spaciation and Distribution of Spalax Species and Subspecies in Turkey

Authors: M. DOĞAN GÜLKAÇ, EŞREF YÜKSEL

Abstract: Changes in the earth in million of years brought about changes on living organism. As a result, the fauna and flora of an area had been subject to changes in geographic and climatic conditions in that particular area. Thus the flora and fauna of Anatolia had been changed parallel to the changes in the topography and climate. In this sudy, geographic evolution of Anatolian Peninsula has been investigated and starting from this point of wiev the distribution and the speciation of Spalax species and subspecies connected with geographic isolation in the Anatolian Peninsula is discussed. At present seven subspecies belonging to one genus of Spalacidae family is being found in Anatolian Peninsula. If the distribution ranges of these subspecies has been examined the geographic connection comes into sight. That is to say that the geographic isolation has been played a determining role in the speciation of these group of animal. The striking point is that the effect of the geographical fault so-called Anatolian Diagonal which extend from Amanos Mountains to Erzurum-Kars Plateau on the isolation of Spalax subspecies considered tremendous.

Keywords: Spalax, Biogeography, Geographical isolation

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