Türkiye'deki Meriones illiger, 1811 (Mammalia:Rodentia) cinsinin taksonomik durumu ve yaklaşımı
Özet
In this investigation, 426 specimens of Meriones collected from various areas of Turkey between the years 1991 and 1994 were evaluated based on morphological, biometrical, karyological, ethological, ecological and biological characters. It was determined that four species; Meriones tristrami, Meriones vinogradovi, Meriones meridianus, Meriones crassus and seven subspecies; M.t. blackleri, Mi. tycoon, M.t, bogdanovi, M.t. bodenheimeri, Mi. intraponticus, Mm. dahli, M.c. charon distribute in Turkey. Of these species and subspecies, M. meridianus, M. crassus, Mm. dahli, M.c. charon, Mi. bogdanovi, Mi. bodenheimeri were new records for mammalian fauna of Turkey. In the results of karyologic studies, it was revealed that diploid number of chromosomes (2n) in M. tristrami is 72, fundemental number (NF) is 76 in Mi. blackleri and 82 in other subspecies, that 2n and NF of M. meridianus and M. crassus are 50, 60 and 78, 76 respectively. The range of M. tristrami in steppes and plains below attitude of 1200 mt in Anatolia, M. vinogradoxi in vicinity of Kars and İğdır province, M. meridianus at sandy belts in the north of Ağrı mountain and M. crassus in Southeastern Anatolia were determined. KEY WORDS: Turkey, Meriones, taxonomy, biology, ecology.