Embryonic Development and Cranial Ossification Sequence in Two Species (Squamata: Scincidae).

Although embryological studies of squamates have a long history, most groups in this large clade remain poorly studied. One such group is the family Scincidae, which consists of morphologically and ecologically diverse lizards. In this study, we describe several stages of embryonic development based on cleared and stained specimens of and .

Life-History Traits of Nikolsky, 1905 from Northeastern Anatolia.

In this study, the life-history traits of are presented for the first time. A total of 27 samples (17 ♂♂ and 10 ♀♀) from Iğdır Province, Türkiye, were aged using skeletochronology. Student's -test was performed to compare mean differences in the variables between sexes.

Revising the taxonomy of Darevskia valentini (Boettger, 1892) and Darevskia rudis (Bedriaga, 1886) (Squamata, Lacertidae): a Morpho-Phylogenetic integrated study in a complex Anatolian scenario.

Revealing biodiversity allows the accurate determination of the underlying causes of many biological processes such as speciation and hybridization. These processes contain many complex patterns, especially in areas with high species diversity. As two of the prominent zoogeographic areas, Anatolia and Caucasus are also home to the genus Darevskia, which has a complex morphological structure and parthenogenetic speciation.

Skeletal description of Pelophylax caralitanus (Anura: Ranidae): Comparison with other ranids.

A description of the skeletal development of ranids is scarce despite being well known in the family Ranidae. Herein, the description of several species of two genera representing the family Ranidae from Turkey is studied wherein the larval and adult cranial skeletons of Pelophylax caralitanus are described and compared with that of the water frog (Pelophylax bedriagae) and mountain frog (Rana macrocnemis). The data are based on cleared and double-stained specimens of 20 Gosner developmental Stages (26-46).

Parthenogenesis in Darevskia lizards: A rare outcome of common hybridization, not a common outcome of rare hybridization.

Hybridization is a common evolutionary process with multiple possible outcomes. In vertebrates, interspecific hybridization has repeatedly generated parthenogenetic hybrid species. However, it is unknown whether the generation of parthenogenetic hybrids is a rare outcome of frequent hybridization between sexual species within a genus or the typical outcome of rare hybridization events.

Phylogeography of a cryptic speciation continuum in Eurasian spadefoot toads (Pelobates).

Cryptic phylogeographic diversifications provide unique models to examine the role of phylogenetic divergence on the evolution of reproductive isolation, without extrinsic factors such as ecological and behavioural differentiation. Yet, to date very few comparative studies have been attempted within such radiations. Here, we characterize a new speciation continuum in a group of widespread Eurasian amphibians, the Pelobates spadefoot toads, by conducting multilocus (restriction site associated DNA sequencing and mitochondrial DNA) phylogenetic, phylogeographic and hybrid zone analyses.

The biogeography of (Pallas, 1814), with a description of a new rat snake species.

Background: The rat snake genus once comprised several dozens of species distributed in temperate through tropical zones of the New and Old World. Based on molecular-genetic analyses in early 2000s, the genus was split into several separate genera, leaving only 15 Palearctic and Oriental species as its members. One of the three species also occurring in Europe is , a robust snake from the Balkans, Anatolia, Caucasus, Ponto-Caspian steppes, and Levant that has been suspected to be composed of two or more genetically diverse populations.

Reevaluation of the intraspecific variability in Darevskia parvula (Lantz Cyren, 1913): an integrated approach using morphology, osteology and genetics (Squamata: Lacertidae).

The intraspecific variability of Darevskia parvula (which has two classical subspecies easily identifiable by external characteristics, D. p. parvula and D.

Multilocus phylogeny and coalescent species delimitation in Kotschy's gecko, Mediodactylus kotschyi: Hidden diversity and cryptic species.

Kotschy's Gecko, Mediodactylus kotschyi, is a small gecko native to southeastern Europe and the Levant. It displays great morphological variation with a large number of morphologically recognized subspecies. However, it has been suggested that it constitutes a species complex of several yet unrecognized species.

Parthenogenesis through the ice ages: A biogeographic analysis of Caucasian rock lizards (genus Darevskia).

Darevskia rock lizards include both sexual and parthenogenetic species, mostly distributed in the heterogeneous and ecologically diverse Caucasus. The parthenogenetic species originated via directional hybridogenesis, with only some of the sexual species known to serve as parentals. However, it remains unclear when and where these events happened and how many parental lineages were involved.

Phylogeny of Trachylepis sp. (Reptilia) from Turkey inferred from mtDNA sequences.

The taxonomic status of the species included into the genus Trachylepis in Turkey are doubtful. So far, three morphological species have been attributed to this genus in Turkey; Trachylepis aurata. T.

Parasitism of immature stages of Haemaphysalis sulcata (Acari: Ixodidae) on some reptiles in Turkey.

Reptiles may contribute to maintaining tick populations by feeding larvae, nymphs, and adults. The life cycles and tick-host associations of many Turkish ticks are still poorly known, and only 3 ixodid tick species have been reported on 7 reptile species in Turkey. In this study, we performed a tick survey on reptiles in the Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey.

External morphology and osteology of Darevskia rudis (Bedriaga, 1886), with a taxonomic revision of the Pontic and Small-Caucasus populations (Squamata: Lacertidae).

A broad sample of Darevskia rudis from the main part of its range was reviewed with regard to external morphology (discriminant, UPGMA, MST and ANOVA analyses) and osteology. Darevskia bithynica is raised to species rank, with two subspecies: D. b.

An assessment of initial body size in loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) hatchlings in Turkey.

Eggs, hatchlings, and adult loggerhead turtles, and incubation durations of clutches, were measured on three Turkish beaches (Dalyan, Fethiye and Göksu Delta), and some physical features of nests were compared. These features were not statistically different among the beaches, except for nest depth and distance to the high water mark. There was a positive relationship between hatchling mass and egg size.