Population genetic structure and phylogeography of the greater horseshoe bat () along Alborz and Zagros Mts. in Iran.

In this paper, we investigate the genetic structure and phylogeography of , using the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (1017 bp) in Iran and adjacent regions. The total haplotype and nucleotide diversity are 0.63 ± 0.055 and 0.0021 ± 0.00017, respectively which suggest that exhibits low genetic diversity. AMOVA analysis shows that more variation of genetic differentiation is present among populations of phylogenetic groupings than within populations. Our phylogenetic results support the monophyly of and suggest this taxon comprises three allopatric/parapatric phylogroups that are distributed in Europe-western Turkey, eastern Turkey-northern Iran, and southern Iran. The Europe-western Turkey lineage (clade 2) split from the eastern Turkey-Iran lineage (clade 1) during the middle Pleistocene (0.8534 (ca.I)-0.6454 (ca.II) Ma). The divergence time among subclades A and B occurred during the mid-Pleistocene (0.4849 (ca.I)-0.369 (ca.II) Ma). All phylogenetic analyses also indicate that the Iranian and eastern Turkey diverged from Europe and western Turkey , with the mean percentage sequence differences ranging from 0.92%-0.75% between them. We infer that long-term isolation of in spatially distinct refugia in parts of southwestern and northeastern Iran has promoted distinct phylogeographic lineages during the Pleistocene.