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Morphological and genetic variation among populations of the widespread buthid scorpion, Hottentotta saulcyi (Simon, 1880), occurring in western and southwestern Iran was explored using morphometric variables, one nuclear marker (28S rDNA) and three mitochondrial markers (12S rDNA, 16S rDNA, and Cytochrome c Oxidase Subunit I). Genetic and morphometric statistical analyses revealed extensive cryptic diversity. Phylogenetic analysis with Bayesian Inference and Maximum Likelihood uncovered two divergent clades, one of which is described as a new species, Hottentotta hatamtiorum sp. nov., from Ilam and Khuzestan Provinces, southwestern Iran. The description of the new species raises the total count of Hottentotta Birula, 1908 species to 61, twelve of which are endemic or subendemic to the Iranian Plateau.

Haemosporidians are a diverse group of vector-borne parasitic protozoa that have a global distribution and some of them live in the avian body as a benign parasite, with no symptoms. Avian Haemosporidians, include three main genera, Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon. These blood parasites are transmitted across different regions through migratory birds. We studied the prevalence of avian haemosporidian parasites in both resident and migratory birds in the central and southern regions of Iraq. Our study represents pioneering research on Haemosporidian parasites in a wide range of avian species, including 248 samples from 47 species of both resident and migratory birds, collected from five cities in central and southern Iraq. We identified and determined the prevalence of three distinct haemosporidian genera, Haemoproteus spp., Leucocytozoon spp., and Plasmodium spp. Overall parasite infection was higher in resident hosts than in migrants. The prevalence of Plasmodium spp. was found to be highest among resident birds, with a rate of 20.1%, while the highest rate of Leucocytozoon spp. was observed in migratory birds, with a rate of 8.2%. Our study holds promising opportunities for understanding the impact of migratory and resident hosts on the dynamics of infectious diseases in wildlife.

Hottentotta Birula, 1908 is one of the most widely distributed buthid scorpions, with more than 40described species from Africa, across the Middle East, to India. Currently, this genus is representedby ten morphological species in Iran (H. akbarii, H. jayakari, H. juliae, H. khoozestanus, H.lorestanus, H. navidpouri, H. saulcyi, H. schach, H. sistanensis and H. zagrosensis), all of which areendemic or subendemic in Iran. The members of this genus have not been properly studied from thetaxonomic point of view. A tool that could contribute to scorpions' taxonomic studies is geometricmorphometry, which is defined as the fusion between geometry and biology. In this study, the sizeand shape variations in sternocoxal structure in Hottentotta populations have been examined usingthe geometric morphometric method. The goal was to analyze the isometric size and conformation innine species of Hottentotta. 100 individuals of Hottentotta, collected from different parts of Iranduring 2018-2020, were photographed. Coordinate (x, y) configurations from landmarks wereregistered in sternocoxal structures. Geometric morphometric analyses were performed using Rlanguage. The results clearly showed divergence in the shape and size of sternocoxal structureamong the studied taxa. However, the major shape changes were associated with H. akbarii whichhas a larger size of sternocoxal structure and a narrower sternum, shorter coxa II-III, and longercoxa IV.

Calomyscidae is a monotypic family of muroid rodents with nine valid allopatric species distributed in southwestern Asia of which seven species have been so far recognized from Iran. The western and southern Zagros Mountains were thought to be home to a single species, Calomyscus bailwardi, but new researches revealed that the region is also home to four highly divergent molecular lineages. One of them was recently described as a new species (C. behzadi) but the taxonomic position of the other lineages remained unclear. Here we did an extensive sampling in southern Iran (2017-2018), during which 99 Calomyscus specimens were collected. Based on an integrated approach including karyotypic, mitochondrial as well as morphological data, we describe Calomyscus kermanensis sp. nov. as a new endemic species from the southern Zagros Mts (including Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Fars, Kerman, Yazd and Hormozgan provinces), in the region that was previously thought to be occupied by C. bailwardi. The new species emerged as a new lineage with high intraspecific mtDNA and chromosome variations. The multivariate and univariate statistical analyses of craniodental measurements also separated C. kermanensis sp. nov. from other examined Calomyscus species with the highest maximum cranial height being the most distinctive of its craniodental features.

Abstract Background Various haemosporidian parasites infect raptors, especially captive hosts who may be more exposed. Diagnosis of threatening factors such as infectious diseases indirectly has a significant role in protecting endangered or threatened species that may boost the mortality or extinction resulting from declined reproduction. Few investigations have been performed in captive hosts to detect the prevalence of haemosporidian parasites and define genetic diversity in west Asia. For the first time, the current study was designed to determine the prevalence and genetic diversity of haemosporidian parasites in captive raptors by molecular methods in two rehabilitation facilities in North and North-east Iran and to define phylogenetic relationships of detected lineages circulating in raptors. Results Molecular characterization of the haemosporidian parasite was accomplished by PCR-based method and DNA sequencing in 62 captive raptors. The overall prevalence was ~ 36% with higher infection of Haemoproteus spp. than Leucocytozoon spp. Plasmodium infection was not detected in any host. Results showed that 22 individuals (of 10 species) were infected with unique lineages. Genus Haemoproteus was detected in 26.66% of examined individuals (of eight species) and Leucocytozoon was found in 10% of individuals (of four species). The molecular analysis could detect ten lineages (nine Haemoproteus spp. and one Leucocytozoon spp.) which were categorizes as new and six lineages which have been previously detected in the other investigations. Conclusions The Bayesian phylogenetic analysis derived from obtained data in the present study and published lineages in previous investigations indicated the probable host specificity of Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon parasites in several sub-clades at hosts’ order and genus level. As monitoring the parasite loads of captive birds when admitted reduce the risk of infecting hosts in captivity at those locations, we designed this study to determine infection prevalence and genetic diversity of blood parasites in raptors examined in Iran. These results allow mapping of haemosporidian distribution and shed light on the depth of their diversity in Iran to protect species by identification of risk in rehabilitation facilities.

Determining the limits of species is still a major area of contention, particularly when diagnostic differentiating characters are subtle and there is a contradiction between morphological and genetic data. The lesser whitethroat (LWT) complex Curruca curruca represents an interesting study system to address this issue. Here, we use phylogeny‐, admixture‐ and principal component analysis‐ (PCA‐) based analyses on whole‐genome sequence data of the parapatric LWT taxa C. c. curruca, C. c. halimodendri, C. c. zagrossiensis and C. c. althaea to investigate the prevalence and importance of gene flow in a geographical area where morphological evidence suggests a clinal transition between populations. The results suggest that LWT populations of the Zagros Mts zagrossiensis may represent a lineage historically diverged from topotypical curruca, the two lineages later coming into secondary contact with extensive gene flow as a result. There is no evidence of a hybrid zone or cline between zagrossiensis and althaea in the Zagros Mts. On the other hand, there is evidence for gene flow between althaea and halimodendri. The results also show possible evidence of admixture from other populations in the LWT complex, extralimital to the sampled area, but the nature of this needs to be evaluated based on a larger data set.

The present study investigates the occurrence and the identification of tick species infesting wild songbirds in northern Iran. During the period from 2015 to 2016, 342 songbirds belonging to 15 families and 37 species were captured and examined for tick infestation. Of which, 70 specimens were infested by ticks representing a 20.46% infestation rate. Four tick species detached from examined birds and identified as follow: Ixodes ricinus (Linnaeus, 1758), I. lividus Koch, 1844, Hyalomma sp., and Rhipicephalus sp. The most common one was I. ricinus. In all infected birds, collected ticks were in immature stages and the number of specimens of the larval stage was more than in the nymphal stage, and no adult tick was found. Following songbirds were introduced as new hosts: Rock Sparrow Petronia petronia (Linnaeus, 1766), Chestnut-shouldered Petronia Gymnoris xanthocollis (Burton, E, 1838), Eastern Olivaceous Warbler Hippolais pallida (Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1833), Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra Linnaeus, 1758, Common Mynah Acridotheres tristis (Linnaeus, 1766), Eastern Pied Wheatear Oenanthe picata (Blyth, 1847), Pied Wheatear O. pleschanka (Lepechin, 1770), Desert Finch Rhodospiza obsoleta (Lichtenstein, MHC, 1823), Fire-fronted Serin Serinus pusillus (Pallas, 1811), and Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva (Bechstein, 1792) for I. ricinus.

The closely related Black-headed Bunting (Emberiza melanocephala, a western Palearctic lineage) and Red-headed Bunting (Emberiza bruniceps, an eastern Palearctic lineage) hybridize and replace each other south of the Caspian Sea. The parental species have distinct phenotypes and therefore morphology is useful for assessing hybridization in the contact zone. In the years of 1940 and 1977, quite a few hybrids were collected and studied morphologically. Since then, the hybrid zone appears to have expanded westwards, but there has been a time gap in the collection of morphological data. Here we reanalyze bunting specimens morphologically and compare the historical data with recent data. Morphometric and phenotypic traits from three time periods (1940, 1977 and recent) were studied to assess phenotypic variation of hybrids, pattern of hybridization, and transgressive traits in the hybrid zone. Our results show that most of the birds in the hybrid zone exhibit intermediate phenotypes (both colors and morphometric characters), ranging from the pure phenotype of either of the parental species. However, hybridization has also produced novel phenotypes not seen in any of the parents. Using a canonical discriminant function analysis, the morphometric characters separated each parental species and the hybrids quite well. Our results showed morphometric intermediacy of hybrids in accordance with phenotypes. We observe a time trend in which recent hybrids are more similar to Red-headed Buntings phenotypically compared to historical samples. This pattern is likely a signature of a westward expansion of the Red-headed Bunting into the breeding range of the Black-headed Bunting.

Biodiversity is one of the key components of environmental sustainability and its conservation is very important. To conserve biodiversity, both its management and measurement management are necessary. Biodiversity measurement means some quantitative value that can be ascribed to the various measurements so these values can be compared. With its geographic and climatic variety, Iran has a valuable biodiversity, which includes about 1,130 and 8,000 species of vertebrates and flora, respectively. Due to the large amount of data (occurrence points) and complexity of calculations, utilizing computer programs is essential. Though numerous software have been developed in this field, Iran has no exclusive software. Therefore, we here present BDI v. 1.0.0 (BioDiversity of Iran), a user-friendly software utility which facilitates the calculation of the most commonly used biodiversity indices and then spatially visualizes the results on a map with high precision and resolution.

An updated checklist of the scorpiofauna of Iran is presented. The checklist is based on records of scorpion species which their presence have been confirmed in Iran through field expeditions, examination of scorpion collections, literature review, and personal communications with researchers. According to the presented checklist the scorpion fauna of Iran consists of 68 valid species (41 endemic to Iran) belonging to 19 genera and four families and 6 doubtful reports (belong family Buthidae). Hemiscorpius gaillardi (Vachon, 1974) and Compsobuthus jakesi Kovařík, 2003 reported for the first time from Hormozgan province. Odontobuthus tavighiae Navidpour et al., 2013 collected for the first time from Fars province. Kraepelinia palpator (Birula, 1903) and O. tirgari Mirshamsi et al., 2013 were new record for South Khorasan province fauna. The list is dominated by members of the family Buthidae (58 species) with 85.3% of total species. The level of regional endemism exceeds 60.3%. A dichotomic identification key to the Iranian species on the basis of a DELTA database has been provided.

The meiobenthic harpacticoids of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman has been almost unknown. During October 2014 to September 2016, interstitial and phytal harpacticoids were collected from tide pools in 30 different localities along the Iranian coast of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The new information on the distribution of 26 species and 12 families is provided, here. The most species-rich family was Laophontidae with seven species, followed by Miraciidae with four species. In this paper, all the species were considered new records for the area. Furthermore, the first checklist of meiobenthic Harpacticoids is provided.

The Sexual dimorphism (SD) in body size is very common among the scorpions. In this study, the SD was investigated in two aspects of size and shape in the genus Odontobuthus Vachon, 1950 as a small genus of the family Buthidae. This genus has six fossorial species of which four are distributed in Iran. For this purpose, 43 morphometric variables, consisting of 38 metric measurements and five meristic characters were digitized in the six species, O. bidentatus, O. doriae, O. tavighiae, O. tirgari, O. sp.1 and O. sp.2. The results show that Sexual Size Dimorphism (SSD) were significant in three species: O. doriae, O. tavighiae and O. sp.2. While O. sp.1 represented a SD for more aspects of shape, O. bidentatus did not show a significant SD for all studied traits. The amount of SD in size and shape were not the same in different species. The results showed that males have larger metasoma than females even when they are pulled to the same size. Having larger metasoma may correspond to a more efficient performance during mating, predation or combat with other males, so it should be under a high sexual selection. Type II ANOVA showed a significant interaction between species and sex for shape, but not for size. It suggests that the evolution of SD for size has been in parallel for all studied species, while it has been in different directions for shape. Among meristic variables, only the number of pectin denticles were sexually dimorphic, with males having more denticles than females in all studied species.

The largest genus in the Sylviidae family is Sylvia, which is the archetype for warblers. It contains up to 28 species that are distributed in the Old World. Here, we study Iranian Sylvia using cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) and cytochrome b (cytb) mitochondrial markers to identify them and place them in a phylogenetic context using all available GenBank samples of sufficient length. Bayesian trees for both cytb and cox1 mitochondrial markers are compatible. Previous results suggesting that the Sylvia curruca complex is separated into two major clades with high support are corroborated, as our results show two main clades, one that includes Sylvia atricapilla and Sylvia borin plus Pseudoalcippe atriceps and Lioptilus nigricapillus, and the remainder of the Sylvia species in the other one. Our study did not support the geographical groups: The West-Mediterranean group, the Central-Mediterranean group, and the East-Mediterranean or the African-European species, the African-Asian species, and the Mediterranean species inferred on molecular evidenced by previous studies. Sylvia cantillans is divided into three clades, corroborating previous studies. All Iranian samples were conclusively identified to species level, and none of them give rise to any further taxonomic inquiry.

Introduction: The Afghan pika (Ochotona rufescens) is a small mammal in the family Ochotonidae. This small mammal occurs in Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan. Here, we investigated the helminth infections among the Afghan pikas from northeastern Iran. Methods: Fourteen Afghan pikas were entrapped from Bojnord, Mashhad, Birjand, and Tandoureh in the northeast of Iran during 2013-2015. The animals were euthanized, dissected, and their gastrointestinal tracts were removed, which were then cut longitudinally, and inspected under a stereomicroscope for the presence of helminths. Also, using the formalin-ether concentration technique, the intestinal contents of the animals were examined microscopically for helminths eggs. Results: Out of 14 pikas examined, 11 (78%) harbored at least one helminth species and mixed infections with two helminths were observed in 3 (21%) animals. Four oxyurid species including Cephaluris chabaudi, Cephaluris akhtar, Fastigiuris prudhoei, and Dermatoxy schneider were identified. Also, the Oxyurid eggs were recovered from the intestinal contents of four pikas. No significant difference (P>0.05) was observed in infection rate between male and female animals and between the areas. Conclusion: Oxyurid worms were the only prevalent infection among the Afghan pikas in northeastern Iran. The absence of other helminthic infections in pikas of the study area might be attributed to various factors like the lack of hosts species, high-elevation, and adequate moisture which facilitate the life cycle of many helminths species.

Although arachnology has a long-standing history but the main progress in spiders taxonomy is related to the Golden Age of Araneology. Indeed, from this period onward the copulatory organs (primary and secondary structures) found their true positions in new species description and delimitation. But it is surprising that only a few arachnologists have taken a clear stand about species, considering the inordinate number of concepts. According to the importance of species in taxonomy, the aim of this paper is to present an acceptable definition of the species concept and to investigate the role of copulatory structures in species identification. Studies have shown that species are reproductive communities that are genetically isolated from such other communities. Proceeding relatively independently evolution in different species implies that the species concept is not a universal and comprehensive concept for all the species. On the other hand, as the genital traits often evolve faster than other morphological characters, the role of genital traits is undeniable in distinguishing closely related species and species delimitation. Anyway, there is no certainty about the species-specificity of the copulatory structures. As a final result, it should be noted that variation studies and morphological-molecular congruence analyses will probably advance our knowledge to understand the significance of copulatory structures in the systematics of different spider species.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0206638.].

Avian haemosporidians are widespread and diverse and are classified in the genera Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, Leucocytozoon, and Fallisia. These species are known to cause haemosporidiosis and decreased fitness of their hosts. Despite the high diversity of habitats and animal species in Iran, only few studies have addressed avian haemosporidians in this geographic area. This study was performed in the south and southeast of Iran during the bird breeding seasons in 2017 and 2018, with the aim to partly fill in this gap. Blood samples of 237 passerine birds belonging to 41 species and 20 families were collected. Parasite infections were identified using a nested PCR protocol targeting a 479-base-pair fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b (cytb) gene of Haemoproteus, Plasmodium and Leucocytozoon species. The overall prevalence of haemosporidian parasites was 51.1%, and 55 different lineages were identified, of which 15 cytb lineages were new globally. The lineages of Haemoproteus predominated (63.6% of all detected lineages), followed by Leucocytozoon and Plasmodium. Nineteen new host records of haemosporidian cytb lineages were identified, and the majority of them were found in resident bird species, indicating local transmission. Thirteen co-infections (9.8% of infected individuals) of Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon parasites in seven host species were observed. This study shows the presence of active local transmission of parasites to resident bird species in the southeast of Iran and contributes to the knowledge on haemosporidian parasite biodiversity in this poorly studied region of the world.

Introduction: Plague and tularemia are zoonoses and their causative bacteria are circulating in certain regions of Iran. This study was conducted to investigate potential disease reservoirs amongst small wildlife species in different regions of Iran.Methods: Rodents, insectivores and hares from 17 different provinces of the country were collected in 2014 and 2015. Samples were taken from the spleens of the animals and Real-time PCR was applied to detect nucleic acid sequences that are specific to Francisella tularensis and Yersinia pestis, respectively.Results: Among 140 collected rodents, 25 distinct species were identified out of which five were the most common: Microtus paradoxus (21% out of 140 rodents), Apodemus witherbyi (12%), Microtus irani (11%), Mus musculus (11%) and Microtus socialis (10%). Seventeen insectivores were collected and identified as Crocidura suaveolens (82%) and C. leucodon (18%). Fifty-one hares were collected and identified as Lepus europaeus (57%), Lepus tolai (14%) and Lepus sp. (29%). Three out of 140 explored rodents (1.91%) were positive for F. tularensis, an A. witherbyi, a Mus musculus domesticus, and a Chionomys nivalis collected from Golestan, Khuzestan and Razavi Khorasan provinces, respectively. Two hares (3.92%) were F. tularensis-positive, a L. europaeus from Khuzestan and a Lepus sp. from the Sistan and Baluchistan province. None of the tested animals were positive for Y. pestis.Conclusion: This is the first report of direct detection of F. tularensis in mammals of Iran and the first-time observation of the agent in a snow vole, C. nivalis worldwide. The results indicate that tularemia is more widespread in Iran than previously reported including the Northeast and Southwestern parts of the country. Future studies should address genetic characterization of F. tularensis positive DNA samples from Iran to achieve molecular subtyping and rule out assay cross-reactivity with near neighbor Francisella species.

Background: Avian haemosporidians are able to parasitize numerous bird species all over the world. The extensive range of blood parasites infection rate is between 50% and 100% or less percentage. Haemoparasites with major effects on physiology, ecology, health, population dynamics, sexual selection and production success of avian hosts may promote species extinction. Methods: To evaluate haemosporidians infection rate in Iranian birds, 136 individuals were examined by microscopic observation of stained blood smears under light microscope. These samples belonged to 10 different families of Songbirds from the east of Iran from April to August 2014-2016. Results: Fifty-one passerine birds were detected as harboring Haemoproteus spp. Furthermore, we recorded Haemoproteus spp. infection of Granativora bruniceps, Oenanthe pleschanka for the first time in the world and eight more species for Iran. Conclusion: Age and sampling localities do not influence the infection rate of Haemoproteus spp. from the eastern provinces of Iran. The relative high infection of avian haematozoa revealed this region might provide suitable sites for future studies on these parasites and the relationship with their hosts and vectors.

In the study on biodiversity and systematics of meiobenthic copepods from northern coastline of the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, a canuelloid species, Canuellina insignis Gurrney, 1927 was found. This is the first report of the species in Iranian waters and also in the area.

BACKGROUND:The mobility of birds across or between continents exposes them to numerous vectors that have the potential to transmit pathogens and spread them into new regions. A combination of rich species diversity of birds along with the small amount of molecular studies in Iran makes observing the blood parasite distribution in wild avian populations indispensable for further estimation and administration of blood parasites. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:In order to evaluate the infection rate and molecular context of avian blood parasites, bird samples were collected (passerine = 316 and non-passerine = 14) in eight provinces of northern Iran between June to September 2015 and 2016. All bird samples were examined for haematoprotozoan infections by morphological screening using light microscope and mtDNA cytb gene amplification. A total of 115 birds were positive for blood parasites by molecular approach (34.84% overall infection). The infection rate of Haemoproteus, Plasmodium, and Leucocytozoon were 33.03%, 1.21%, and 0.6%, respectively. Sequences analysis has detected 43 lineages in Iranian birds' hosts. Lineages were attributed to three genera Haemoproteus (n = 37), Plasmodium (n = 4), and Leucocytozoon (n = 2), of which 23 lineages fully matched previously recorded sequences in GenBank and MalAvi data reciprocities. Five lineages of ACDUM1, ACDUM2, PARUS1, PYERY01, and SISKIN1 were detected in multiple hosts' species from dissimilar families. In Bayesian tree, all sequences were clustered in three main monophyletic clades as Haemoproteus, Plasmodium, and Leucocytozoon genera. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:As the first study outlining the molecular detection of hematozoa of passerines from Iran, the current study has recorded 20 new lineages for three genera of Haemoproteus, Plasmodium, and Leucocytozoon. Additional investigations into these taxa in the avifauna for the other parts of Iran may provide extra information on blood parasites, hosts relationships and distribution patterns.

Introduction Study of quaternary microvertebrate remains in eastern Iran, according to a few of the sediments is very important. Reconstruction of quaternary climate in many parts of West and North West of Iran as the biggest karst state is possible, such as cave Kani Mikaiel (Hashemi et al. 2005, 2006, 2007a;b, 2008; 2010, Jangjoo et al . 2010), Yafteh cave (Otte et al. 2007, Hashemi et al. 2015). However, such studies were very poor in eastern and north-eastern Iran (Hashemi and darvish 2006; Hashemi et al. 2008, 2015). Investigation of taxonomic identification; quantification and distribution of micromammals revealed that these remains are useful in paleontology and archaeological research, because their abundance is useful for paleobiostratigraphy and dating of continental sediments. The recent research is about reconstruction of paleoclimate in two archeological sites of Konar sandal (KS) (Jiroft) and Tapeh Naderi (TN) (Mashhad) based on the microvertebrate and especially Tatera indica species. In these sites we attempted to solve the palaeoenvironment condition by analysis of rodent remains which hold the greatest potential to monitoring of ecological parameters (Hoover et al. 1977; Getz 1961; Reig 1970; Merritt 1974). Combining of a rich network of data with using of morphological and morphometric methods; reconstruction of paleoenvironment; documentation and investigation of their relationship with the environment is the main result of this research . Material & Methods In both zooarchaeological samples which are composed of juveniles and young individual rodent, (KS, NISP=800 and TN, NISP=3) cranial and postcranial remains were sorted anatomically and washed with water. Dental pattern of mandible and maxillary tooth rows were drowns using a drawing tube connecting to a stereomicroscope (Olympus SZH-10). All recovered teeth fragments were measured based on the greatest dental length and width of the upper and lower jaw molars when possible , with the aid of measuring microscope having accuracy 0.001 mm. One of the main goals of the detailed analysis on dental remains is obtaining the changes of teeth size during time and space (Mashkour and Hashemi 2008) . KS remains were recovered out by water sieving a column of three geological sieves with decreasing size of the mesh from top to bottom: 1 cm, 0.5 cm and 0.2 cm. Furthermore, all obtained information, which depending on the type of the skeletal remains has been entered in tables of excel for statistical analysis. Combination of morphometric with morphological studies and their identification keys were used to identify of the remains. Based on these methods, known examples in both archeological sites were belonging to Gerbillinae and Tatera indica species . Discussion of Results & Conclusions The effect of climate change on Tatera indica species was found for the first time in 1973 in the western regions of Iran and Dehloran plain (10,000-3800 years ago) (Redding 1978) . This region has 200 to 399 mm of rainfall per year; rivers, streams, marshes and channels which represents wet conditions in most of the year. In this area, in addition of Tatera indica species, Nesokia indica, Mus musculus, Gerbillus nanus and Meriones crassus were identified. The remains of Tatera indica species with Nesokia and Mus were found also in Shahre shoukhteh in Sistan which wa s reported approximately 6000 years ago (Chaline and Helmer 1974) . Presence of Tatera indica in KS site and also in other central, western, southwestern and eastern Iran during the mid to late Holocene can be show that climatic and environmental conditions in the southern half part of the country has not changed from 9000 years to recent (Alley et al. 1997 ) . Finding the dental and cranial remains of Tatera indica in TN of Mashhad and in another archeological site such as Kohandejh in north east of Iran (Nishapur) can be indicate the change climate probably was intense in 2,000 years ago in this part of Iran, because recently, this species not found in northeast of Iran and the maximum their current geographical spread of this species is Torbat-e Jam, while density of these remains were very much in KS, 6000 years ago, (Jiroft).This species is very sensible to cold climate and except of this; it is adaptability with other ecological conditions (Misonne 1959) . Addition to Jiroft, obtaining evidence from this remain fauna in other regions of half southern part of Iran showed that from about 10,000 years ago and ever since the Holocene started, with gradual warming of the weather, distribution of this species has not been changed in southern part of Iran, which would be indicative the stability of this species against to warm condition.

Calomyscus mystax is endemic to Great Balkhan Mountains in southwestern Turkmenistan. However there have been some inaccurate reports of existing this species in Koprtdagh Mts. and northern Iran, but these were considered as Calomyscus elburzensis and Calomyscus grandis. Phylogenetic analyses on Cytb gene clustered samples from Kopetdagh Mts. in northeastern Iran with one specimen of C. mystax belong to Turkmenistan, and so confirmed them as conspecific. Therefore known range of C. mystax has been extended to more southern regions. Morphometric and geometric-morphometric analyses described some cranium and dental characters which distinguished individuals of C. mystax in north east of Iran and North Khorasan province, in comparison to other analyzed samples from other Calomyscus species.

The genus Alburnus, which belongs to the largest teleost family, Cyprinidae, comprises 38 valid species distributed from Europe to northern parts of Southwest Asia. Herein we provide an updated list of the Alburnus seven valid species registered from Iran.

 Introduction  Study of quaternary microvertebrate remains in eastern Iran, according to a few of the sediments is very important. Reconstruction of quaternary climate in many parts of West and North West of Iran as the biggest karst state is possible, such as cave Kani Mikaiel (Hashemi et al. 2005, 2006, 2007ab, 2008 2010, Jangjoo et al . 2010), Yafteh cave (Otte et al. 2007, Hashemi et al. 2015). However, such studies were very poor in eastern and north-eastern Iran (Hashemi and darvish 2006 Hashemi et al. 2008, 2015). Investigation of taxonomic identification quantification and distribution of micromammals revealed that these remains are useful in paleontology and archaeological research, because their abundance is useful for paleobiostratigraphy and dating of continental sediments. The recent research is about reconstruction of paleoclimate in two archeological sites of Konar sandal (KS) (Jiroft) and Tapeh Naderi (TN) (Mashhad) based on the microvertebrate and especially Tatera indica species. In these sites we attempted to solve the palaeoenvironment condition by analysis of rodent remains which hold the greatest potential to monitoring of ecological parameters (Hoover et al. 1977 Getz 1961 Reig 1970 Merritt 1974). Combining of a rich network of data with using of morphological and morphometric methods reconstruction of paleoenvironment documentation and investigation of their relationship with the environment is the main result of this research .    Material & Methods  In both zooarchaeological samples which are composed of juveniles and young individual rodent, (KS, NISP=800 and TN, NISP=3) cranial and postcranial remains were sorted anatomically and washed with water. Dental pattern of mandible and maxillary tooth rows were drowns using a drawing tube connecting to a stereomicroscope (Olympus SZH-10). All recovered teeth fragments were measured based on the greatest dental length and width of the upper and lower jaw molars when possible , with the aid of measuring microscope having accuracy 0.001 mm. One of the main goals of the detailed analysis on dental remains is obtaining the changes of teeth size during time and space (Mashkour and Hashemi 2008) . KS remains were recovered out by water sieving a column of three geological sieves with decreasing size of the mesh from top to bottom: 1 cm, 0.5 cm and 0.2 cm. Furthermore, all obtained information, which depending on the type of the skeletal remains has been entered in tables of excel for statistical analysis. Combination of morphometric with morphological studies and their identification keys were used to identify of the remains. Based on these methods, known examples in both archeological sites were belonging to Gerbillinae and Tatera indica species .    Discussion of Results & Conclusions  The effect of climate change on Tatera indica species was found for the first time in 1973 in the western regions of Iran and Dehloran plain (10,000-3800 years ago) (Redding 1978) . This region has 200 to 399 mm of rainfall per year rivers, streams, marshes and channels which represents wet conditions in most of the year. In this area, in addition of Tatera indica species, Nesokia indica, Mus musculus, Gerbillus nanus and Meriones crassus were identified. The remains of Tatera indica species with Nesokia and Mus were found also in Shahre shoukhteh in Sistan which wa s reported approximately 6000 years ago (Chaline and Helmer 1974) . Presence of Tatera indica in KS site and also in other central, western, southwestern and eastern Iran during the mid to late Holocene can be show that climatic and environmental conditions in the southern half part of the country has not changed from 9000 years to recent (Alley et al. 1997 ) .  Finding the dental and cranial remains of Tatera indica in TN of Mashhad and in another archeological site such as Kohandejh in north east of Iran (Nishapur) can be indicate the change climate probably was intense in 2,000 years ago in this part of Iran, because recently, this species not found in northeast of Iran and the maximum their current geographical spread of this species is Torbat-e Jam, while density of these remains were very much in KS, 6000 years ago, (Jiroft).This species is very sensible to cold climate and except of this it is adaptability with other ecological conditions (Misonne 1959) . Addition to Jiroft, obtaining evidence from this remain fauna in other regions of half southern part of Iran showed that from about 10,000 years ago and ever since the Holocene started, with gradual warming of the weather, distribution of this species has not been changed in southern part of Iran, which would be indicative the stability of this species against to warm condition.  Â

Daphnia a wide spread member of Cladocera live in different aquatic environments ranging from hypersaline swamps to freshwater lakes, lagoons, streams and rivers. To improve our knowledge in the diversity of the genus Daphnia in Iran, and promoting its biogeographical information in the region, an investigation on the morphology and identification of the Iranian species of the genus was carried out during the spring of 2013 and 2014. The Southern Caspian Sea Basin (SCSB) and Urmia Lake Basin (ULB) Daphnia fauna has been studied based on historical literature records and new collections. Zooplanktons were sampled from 70 randomly chosen localities across ca. 2500 km wide longitudinal gradient in the SCSB and ULB basins including both permanent habitats (lakes and reservoirs), and small temporary water bodies (ponds and lagoons), both freshwater and saline. In the samples, 34 populations were identified based on the morphological and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) approaches. Cladistic analysis of Iranian species of genus Daphnia, based on 64 morphological characters obtained from the literature, confirmed the traditionally basic division of the genus into two subgenera, Daphnia and Ctenodaphnia. This split was supported by enough number of synapomorphies in the cladistic analysis. The relationships between all taxa within both subgenera were determined clearly. Cladistic analyses is a powerful tool to phylogenetic studies especially when more characters are defined and character states determined carefully. Finally, regional identification key for ten Iranian species of the genus Daphnia was provided.

The mtDNA data presently being used for estimating biodiversity is not sufficient for evaluating the Motacilla alba complex species status. Because there is a lack of congruence between morphological and mtDNA data, there are debates about the best approach to use. In this study, we utilize niche modelling to study nine taxa of M. alba complex. Using eight bioclimatic- environmental layers, altitude, and slope MaxEnt modeling was applied to predict distributions. A total of 9087 input points for presence of species were also used. Results showed nine distinct ecological boundaries based on MaxEnt and ecological niche modeling (ENM) tools. The results provide some ecological variables for determining the ecological requirements and distribution patterns of the white wagtail species complex in the Palearctic region.

New advances in molecular techniques are substantially reshaping our understanding of taxonomy. However, combining molecular and morphologic data is a prevailing trend towards integral taxonomy. In a genetic frame, two nominal species, Crocidura gmelini and C. suaveolens have recently been lumped into one species. This study aimed to evaluate this hypothesis morphologically. For this, 42 specimens from northern Iran classified either as C. gmelini or C. suaveolens were subjected to the geometric morphometrics analyses. Landmark based method on labial side of mandible along postcranial morphology showed profound resemblance, provide further supports for genetic results.

A survey of species belonging to Pardosa monticola species group from Iran showed a new report. A detailed study reveals that the only female specimen from West Azerbaijan Province belongs to P. colchica Mcheidze, 1946. Characters for distinguishing P. colchica and morphologically similar P. pontica (Thorell, 1875) are given and illustrated. The two species differ in colour and spination.

Background: The intracellular protozoan parasites of the genus Haemoproteus occur in different avian hosts all over the world. Various genus of blood sucking insects’ families such as Hippoboscidae and Ceratopogonidae could transmit Haemoproteus in avian hosts. There are very limited number of studies on wild infected birds with blood parasites in Iran, so the aim of this study was to determine the frequency of Haemoproteus spp. infection in passerine birds from northwest of Iran. Methods: Passerines were collected from four different localities in Zanjan Province, northwest Iran during June to August 2014. Results: Of 86 passerines, we found Haemoproteus infection in 19 (22.09%) individuals. In general, 15 bird species were observed for haemosporidians, of which 53% were infected. Conclusion: Three species of passerines: Petronia petronia, Sitta tephronota and Acrocephalus melanopogon are new host records for Haemoproteus infection in the world. Results acquired by this study support widespread distri­bution of Haemoproteus in passerines and illustrated the prevalence of Haemoproteus species in wild birds of north­west of Iran. Conclusively, our study specified that more investigations are needed to reach exact prevalence rate in different families of birds in Iran.

The concept of species might be interpreted in many different ways. This has impressed both the process of introducing new species and the revision of morphological species classification. According to recent studies, about 65 morphological species have been recognized for the tribe of Arvicolini. However, molecular investigations show that some of the morphological species might not be valid and some others should be subdivided into several species. In the present study, 38 morphological species of the Arvicolini tribe inhabiting in the northern hemisphere were investigated using 823 sequences of cytochrome b gene (1140 base pairs). The research of intra-interspecific genetic distances and haplotype network analysis were carried out for dataset. The Bayesian tree demonstrated 64 haplotype networks in our data. Such results might support the validity of some of the studied morphological species and, on the other hand, might discover unknown species and thus, contribute to the integrative species concept.

So far, four species of Hemidactylus have been reported in Iran as follows: H. persicus, H. robustus, H. flaviviridis, H. romeshkanicus. In this study, 108 specimens belonging to these four species of Hemidactylus were examined morphologically, using 19 metric and 6 meristic characters. Multivariate analyses showed morphological differences among these three species with exception H. romeshkanicus which was found to be indistinguishable from the specimens of H. persicus, especially in the DFA analysis. In spite of, grouping the holotype of H. romeshkanicus with population of H. persicus especially in DFA analyses and presences of high intraspecific variation among populations of H. persicus complex, we could not definitely decide about the taxonomic status of H. romeshkanicus with only one specimen. But we suggest that latter species probably belongs to a local populations inside H. persicus complex.

154 specimens of Periophthalmus waltoni distributed in seven different sites in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman are analysed, utilizing ten morphometric characters. Canonical Variate Analysis (CVA) of the sampling sites suggested a partial separation between the north-western sites and the central plus south-eastern sites. The main factor to connect P. waltoni specimens from different sites and keep them similar, morphologically and probably genetically, could be moving their larvae. It could be deduced that environmental factors are the main reason to discriminate between P. waltoni specimens from different stations.

Common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus, Linnaeus, 1758) is an endemic naturally distributed in the Palearctic regions. White wing pheasant (P. c. principalis) is distributed from Turkmenistan and north of Afghanistan along to Harir-Rud river in northeast of Iran. This study was the first attempt to determine the geographical range, density and breeding biology of white wing pheasant populations in northeast of Iran. To do so, 36 stations were defined in the breeding range of the species in two cities, namely Sarakhs and Dargaz in northeast of Iran. The breeding behaviors including egg lying, hatching and feeding behavior of chicks' were monitored and photographed using camera traps in 14 active nests in 10 stations. Collected data showed that white wing pheasant had a simple nest shape breeding season started in early April hatching began end of May and lasted 24±1 days (based on 14 active nests) and finally enjoiyed little parental caring, particularly for the males. Comparative morphometrical data for eggs (length and width), nest and clutch size showed that there was a significant variation between the studied populations (P

The mitochondrial cytochrome c-oxidase subunit I (COI) can serve as a fast and accurate marker for the identification of animal species, and has been applied in a number of studies on birds. We here sequenced the COI gene for 387 individuals of 147 species of birds from the Netherlands, with 83 species being represented by >2 sequences. The Netherlands occupies a small geographic area and 95% of all samples were collected within a 50 km radius from one another. The intraspecific divergences averaged 0.29% among this assemblage, but most values were lower; the interspecific divergences averaged 9.54%. In all, 95% of species were represented by a unique barcode, with 6 species of gulls and skua (Larus and Stercorarius)at least one shared barcode. This is best explained by these species representing recent radiations with ongoing hybridization. In contrast, one species, the Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca showed deep divergences, averaging 5.76% and up to 8.68% between individuals. These possibly represent two distinct taxa, S. curruca and S. blythi, both clearly separated in a haplotype network analysis. Our study adds to a growing body of DNA barcodes that have become available for birds, and shows that a DNA barcoding approach enables to identify known Dutch bird species with a very high resolution. In addition some species were flagged up for further detailed taxonomic investigation, illustrating that even in ornithologically well-known areas such as the Netherlands, more is to be learned about the birds that are present.

In this study, maximum entropy models were developed in four seasons to evaluate habitat suitability and factors affecting Asian Houbara in Iran. Environmental variables used in modeling consisted of 42 environmental and climate variables for Nayband wildlife refuge and 36 environmental and climate variables for Petregan protected area. Also, seasonal overlap area were obtained using the ENM TOOLS software. The results showed that the most important factors affecting habitat suitability of the Asian Houbara in all seasons included the ratio of distance to hill, the type of Artemisia−Gymnocarpus, distance to the slope (8–12%) in the Nayband wildlife refuge, distance to the type of Artemisia aucheri, distance to the Land Passion, and distance to the dry land farming in the Petregan region. In summer, the most suitable habitat is Nayband but is Petergan during fall-winter. there is maximum overlap in summer, and the least overlap in the spring these areas. The results of this study can be used as a valuable tool in implementing conservation and management strategies, in order to increase desirable habitats in the eastern part of Iran.

Wild boar (Sus scrofa) are widely distributed throughout the Old World. Most studies have focused on Europe and East Asia with the genetic diversity of West Asia being less well studied. In particular, the genetic variability and genetic structure of the Iranian populations are not yet known; gaps which prevent scientists from resolving the genetic relationships of the Eurasian wild boar. This paper is the first attempt to provide information about genetic relationships among modern Iranian populations of the Eurasian wild boar (S. scrofa) by sequencing 572 bp of the mitochondrial (mt) DNA control region. As a result of this investigation, it was discovered that Iran contains not only Middle Eastern haplotypes, but also shares haplotypes with Europe and East Asia. The Italian clade, which is endemic in Italy, is not identified in Iran, while all other clades, including Asiatic, European, Near East 1, and Near East 2 are found based on the phylogenetic tree and median-joining network. The results of this study illustrate that north west of Iran (specifically Southwest Caspian Sea) is the contact zone between the Asian (Near Eastern and Far Eastern), and the European clades. In light of the fact that the domestication of pigs occurs in Anatolia, this finding is important.

The Barn owl, Tyto alba (Scopoli, 1769), occurs worldwide and shows a considerable amount of morphological and geographical variations, leading to the recognition of many subspecies throughout the world. Yet, no comprehensive study has not been done on this species. Data from mitochondrial gene (16S Ribosomal RNA (16S)) with 569 bp length were analyzed for 41 individuals around the world. Maximum likelihood (ML), maximum parsimony (MP) and Bayesian analysis showed two distinct clades including alba clad (old world) and furcata clad (new world). The amount of genetic variation within each of these clades ranged from 0.5-1.7 but variation between clades was 3.7. This data may suggest that Barn owls of the Old World may be a separate species from those of the New World.

We studied 1038 bp of cytochrome b gene for social voles from three localities in Iran. The new sequences were compared with the previous published data correspond to eight species of social voles. Our results indicated that new material from west of Iran belong to the two species; M. socialis and M. irani karamani. This finding led to prove more knowledge about the Iranian vole distribution rang in Iran, and showed that west part of Iran is occupied with three social voles; M. socialis, M. qazvinensis that already have been documented, and M. irani karamani that is a new addition record for Iran.

BackgroundDNA barcoding based on the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene (cox1 or COI) has been successful in species identification across a wide array of taxa but in some cases failed to delimit the species boundaries of closely allied allopatric species or of hybridising sister species.Methodology/principal findingsIn this study we extend the sample size of prior studies in birds for cox1 (2776 sequences, 756 species) and target especially species that are known to occur parapatrically, and/or are known to hybridise, on a Holarctic scale. In order to obtain a larger set of taxa (altogether 2719 species), we include also DNA sequences of two other mitochondrial genes: cytochrome b (cob) (4614 sequences, 2087 species) and 16S (708 sequences, 498 species). Our results confirm the existence of a wide gap between intra- and interspecies divergences for both cox1 and cob, and indicate that distance-based DNA barcoding provides sufficient information to identify and delineate bird species in 98% of all possible pairwise comparisons. This DNA barcoding gap was not statistically influenced by the number of individuals sequenced per species. However, most of the hybridising parapatric species pairs have average divergences intermediate between intraspecific and interspecific distances for both cox1 and cob.Conclusions/significanceDNA barcoding, if used as a tool for species discovery, would thus fail to identify hybridising parapatric species pairs. However, most of them can probably still assigned to known species by character-based approaches, although development of complementary nuclear markers will be necessary to account for mitochondrial introgression in hybridising species.