Morphometric and biochemical variation and the distribution of the genus Apodemus (Mammalia: Rodentia) in Turkey

A total of 253 specimens belonging to the genus Apodemus were examined from 45 localities in Turkey based on morphometric and biochemical analyses. Six different Apodemus species were distributed; A. sylvalicus was recorded only from Thrace (European part of Turkey), A. iconicus throughout Turkey, except Thrace and south-eastern Anatolia, A. flavicollis from Turkey (rare in central and eastern Anatolia), A. uralensis from Marmara and Black Sea Region, A. agrarius from the northern parts of Thrace, and A. mystacinus from Asiatic Turkey. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) of the data showed a high heterogeneity among Apodemus species. Out of 28 morphometric variables, 27 displayed significant heterogeneity among groups (p < 0.001). The first three discriminant functions explained 96.6% of the total variation. Sylvaemus species (A. flavicollis, A. iconicus, A. uralensis and A. sylvaticus) showed overlapping distribution with each other and two other species A. mystacinus and A. agrarius were formed a separate clusters. Based on ten loci, it was determined that Idh-1, Mdh-s, alpha-Gpdh and Me were distinguishing characters for A. sylvaticus, A. uralensis, A. flavicollis and A. iconicus. Idh-1, Mdh-S, alpha-Gpdh, and Me were polymorphic loci, and deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The greatest genetic differentiation was originated from Me, but the Idh had the smallest genetic differentiation among polymorphic loci. UPGMA dendrograms showed that A. flavicollis was genetically the closest to A. iconicus, but the most distant to A. mystacinus.