A comparative evaluation of cytochrome-b diversity of the endemic Anatolian vole species Microtus dogramacii (Rodentia: Cricetidae) with the “guentheri” group of voles and Microtus socialis

Dogramaci’s vole, Microtus dogramacii, is an endemic rodent species distributed in the northern region of central Anatolia in Turkey. Existing studies performed at the molecular level have been insufficient to differentiate between M. dogramacii and the “guentheri” group of voles (Microtus hartingi, Microtus guentheri and Microtus qazvinensis). Therefore, M. dogramacii was compared with some other Microtus species in terms of genetic diversity, mean genetic distance values and phylogenetic approaches for the mitochondrial cytochrome-b gene region. The mean genetic distance values between M. dogramacii and other species were 3.2-7.0%. In the Median-joining network, Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian MCMC dendrograms, M. dogramacii was closer to M. qazvinensis and M. hartingi than to M. guentheri and M. socialis. Obtained results, based on the cytochrome-b analyses, suggest that M. dogramacii may be a recently evolved species.