Genetic Variations of Growth Hormone Receptor Exon 10 in Blind Mole-Rat Superspecies (Rodentia: Spalacidae) in Turkey

A phylogenetic analysis of 16 cytotypes in a sample of 105 blind mole -rats of the genus Nannospalax Palmer, 1903 from the entire Anatolian region has been carried out. Three superspecies (N. xanthodon, N. leucodon and N. ehrenbergi) were found to have undergone monophyletic radiations. We determined that the superspecies N. ehrenbergi and N. xanthodon contain a mixture of cryptic species distributed in the Anatolian part of Turkey. Our study indicated a fundamental split between two groups, one consisting of populations of N. ehrenbergi from the South-eastern Anatolia and the other including the remaining taxa (N. xanthodon and N. leucodon) from the remaining regions of Anatolia and from Thrace. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that there were two new unnamed cryptic species (2n=48-52 cytotype group and 2n=56 cytotype group) within the superspecies N. ehrenbergi that were reciprocally monophyletic. We reviewed species identified by traditional morphological methods to determine their taxonomic validity. We suggest that N. cilicicus (stat. n.), which is endemic to the central Anatolia, has to be considered a distinct species and not a synonym of N. xanthodon.