Insight into the Phylogenetic Position of Capreolus capreolus, the European Roe Deer, (Mammalia: Cervidae) from Turkey using Mitochondrial Genes

Abstract

For contributing to a better understanding of the phylogenetic position and evolutionary history of Turkish roe deer, mitochondrial DNA sequence data belonging to a population from Artvin, Turkey were introduced by this study. The cytochrome b (cyt b ) and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) genes of mitochondrial DNA belonging to the four samples of Capreolus capreolus were partially sequenced and analyzed alongside the sequences obtained from GenBank. The cyt b and COI data sets included sequences that were 1059 and 646 bp long, respectively. The Turkish roe deer population in Artvin had a relatively low nucleotide diversity and high haplotype diversity. A total of two haplotypes were identified for cyt b , while three haplotypes were identified for COI. Of the haplotypes detected, two cyt b and two COI haplotypes were specific to Turkey. Molecular phylogenetic analyses; Maximum Likelihood (ML), Bayesian Inference (BI), and Network revealed topologies and evolutionary networks which were not definitely resolved. Consequently, Turkish roe deer haplotypes were intertwined with the roe deer haplotypes from Central Europe instead of forming an independent evolutionary clade, and were also, found genetically close to Central European haplotypes. According to the evolutionary dating analysis, the divergence of C. capreolus populations in Europe started at the beginning of the Pleistocene (approximately 2.72 mya). This analysis also demonstrated that the divergence of Turkish roe deer began at approximately 0.58 mya. Given the existence of, shared haplotypes, the relative positions of Turkish roe deer haplotypes in the topologies of the ML and BI phylogenetic trees and evolutionary networks, and the times of evolutionary divergence events within this species; the following results may be inferred: (1) roe deer individuals with the same genotype as those in Europe can also be found in areas further east, such as Turkey; (2) these could be considered to be representatives, which may have contributed to the formation and shaping processes of the known admixed genetic structure of European roe deer populations in Europe; and finally, (3) the roe deer populations may have probably entered Turkey from Europe when evolutionary divergence times based on BI analysis are considered.