Regular Article
Phylogeny and Biogeography of the Family Cyprinidae in the Middle East Inferred from Cytochrome b DNA— Evolutionary Significance of This Region

https://doi.org/10.1006/mpev.2001.1040Get rights and content

Abstract

The phylogenetic relationships of cyprinid species from the Middle East and neighboring biogeographical areas were investigated using cytochrome b sequence variation in order to test hypotheses that consider the Middle Eastern area as an important interchange area or a center of speciation for the freshwater fauna. A total of 62 cyprinid species were analyzed over the complete cytochrome b fragment (1140 bp); 28 belong to the Leuciscinae subfamily and 34 to the Cyprininae. All the Leuciscinae lineage fish recorded in the Middle East are also found in Europe, which was interpreted as an important Palearctic influence in the Middle Eastern ichthyofauna consistent with the Lago Mare dispersion. However, it has also been suggested that several Danube species have their origins in the Middle East. In contrast, the Cyprininae subfamily showed three highly divergent lineages, one shared with the Euro-Mediterranean area (Barbus/Luciobarbus genus) relict of the Lago Mare dispersion, one shared with Africa (Carasobarbus/Varicorhinus subgenus), and the third shared with Asia (Garra genus). Furthermore, clades observed in the phylogenetic reconstructions are not consistent with morphometric or karyological data and disagree with previous taxonomic assumptions. Lastly, the dispersion history in the Middle East of this subfamily appears much more complicated and ancient than that of the Leuciscinae. However, taking into account Cyprininae and Leuciscinae distribution, the Middle East appears more like an important interchange area for the freshwater ichtyofauna than a center of speciation.

References (57)

  • P.M. Banarescu

    Zoogeography of Fresh Waters. Vol. II. Distribution and Dispersal of Freshwater Animals in North America and Eurasia

    (1992)
  • L.S. Berg

    Freshwater Fishes of the USSR and Adjacent Countries

    (1949)
  • E. Bermingham et al.

    Fish biogeography and molecular clocks: Perspectives from the Panamanian Isthmus

  • P. Berrebi et al.

    Diploid and tetraploid African Barbus (Osteichtyes, Cyprinidae): On the coding of differential gene expression

    Aquat. Living Resour.

    (1990)
  • P. Berrebi et al.

    Systematics of Barbus: State of the art and heuristic comments

    Folia Zool.

    (1996)
  • P.G. Bianco et al.

    Contribution to the knowledge of the Cyprinidae of Iran (Pisces, Cyprinidae)

    Cybium

    (1982)
  • P.G. Bianco

    Potential role of the palaeohistory of the Mediterranean and Paratethys basins on the early dispersal of Euro-Mediterranean freshwater fishes

    Ichthyol. Explor. Fresh.

    (1990)
  • N.G. Bogutskaya

    On the question of the systematic relationships among species of Abramis, Blicca, and Vimba (Cyprinidae)

    Vopr. Iktiologii

    (1986)
  • N.G. Bogutskaya

    The morphological basis for the classification of cyprinid fishes (Leuciscinae, Cyprinidae). Communication 2

    Vopr. Ikhtiologii Moscow

    (1990)
  • N.G. Bogutskaya

    Contribution to the knowledge of leuciscine fishes of Asia Minor. Part 2. An annotated checklist of leuciscine fishes (Leuciscinae, Cyprinidae) of Turkey with descriptions of a new species and two new sub-species

    Mitt. Hamb. zool. Mus. Inst.

    (1997)
  • M.R. Brito et al.

    Phylogenetic relationships within genus Leuciscus (Pisces, Cyprinidae) in Portuguese freshwaters, based on mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b sequences

    Mol. Phylogenet. Evol.

    (1997)
  • W.M. Brown et al.

    Rapid evolution of animal mitochondrial DNA

    Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA

    (1979)
  • T.M. Cavender

    Development of the North American Tertiary freshwater fish fauna with a look at parallel trends found in the European record

    Ital. J. Zool.

    (1998)
  • B.W. Coad

    Zoogeography of the freshwater fishes of Iran

  • B.W. Coad

    Zoogeography of the fishes of the Tigris-Euphrates basin

    Zool. Middle East

    (1996)
  • B.W. Coad

    Systematic biodiversity in the freshwater fishes of Iran

    Ital. J. Zool.

    (1998)
  • L. Croizat et al.

    Centers of origin and related concepts

    Syst. Zool.

    (1974)
  • A. Demirsoy

    General and Turkish Zoogeography

    (1996)
  • Cited by (176)

    View all citing articles on Scopus
    1

    To whom correspondence and reprint requests should be addressed at present address: IRD/CNRS UMR 5000 Génome, Populations, Interactions, Université Montpellier II, Station méditerranéenne de l'Environnement du littoral, 1 quai de la Daurade, 34200 Sète, France. Fax: 04 67 46 33 99. E-mail: [email protected].

    2

    Present address: CNRS UMR 5119 Laboratoire Ecosystèmes Lagunaires, cc093, place E. Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier cedex 05, France.

    View full text