Cüce Semender, Lissotriton schmidtleri (Raxworthy, 1988) (Amphibia: Urodela)’nin Farklı Yüksekliklerde Yaşayan İki Populasyonunda Yaş ve Büyüklük KarşılaştırmasıAge and Body Size Comparison of the Turkish Smooth Newt, Lissotriton schmidtleri (Raxworthy, 1988) (Amphibia: Urodela) Populations from Two Different Altitudes
Abstract and Figures
Bu çalışmada, Lissotriton schmidtleri (Cüce Semender)’nin iki farklı yükseklikten (Efes, 5 m ve Karagöl, 816 m a.s.l.) elde edilen popülasyonunun yaş yapısı ve vücut ölçülerinin karşılaştırılması yapılmıştır. Parmak enine kesitlerindeki durgunluk çizgilerinin (LAG’ların) sayımıyla yetişkinlerin yaşını tespit etmek için iskelet kronolojisi yöntemi uygulanmıştır. İki popülasyonda dişi taraflı eşeysel dimorfizm gözlenmiştir. Efes ve Karagöl popülasyonlarında hem erkek hem de dişi bireyler 2 yaşında eşeysel olgunluğa erişmişlerdir. Maksimum yaş veya ömür uzunluğu erkeklerde 10 yıl, dişilerde 8 yıl olarak hesaplanmıştır. Tüm bireyler ele alındığında Efes popülasyonunun Karagöl popülasyonundan daha genç olduğu tespit edilmiştir. İki popülasyon için, her iki cinsiyette de yaş ve büyüklük arasında anlamlı pozitif bir korelasyon bulunmuştur.
Figures - available via license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International
Content may be subject to copyright.
ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any citations for this publication.
This study presents data on the demographic structure of Triturus anatolicus in Torkul Lake in the Province of Düzce, Turkey. Field studies were conducted during the peak of the reproductive season from 2017 to 2019. A total of 51 samples (phalangeal bones from 13 males, 35 females and three sub-adults) were collected to determine the demographic structure of the population by skeletochronology. Snout-vent length (SVL) was 72.03 ± 2.79 mm (min-max: 67–78 mm) in males and 73.12 ± 4.59 mm (min-max: 63–84 mm) in females, where the difference was not statistically significant. The sexual dimorphism index was 0.01 and it was found to be female-biased. The mean age of females was 5.94 ± 1.85 years and the mean age of males was 5.77 ± 1.79 years. The minimum reproductive age was three years in both sexes. The maximum observed age was ten years for females and nine years for males. Our results were compared with literature data, and Triturus anatolicus showed a similar pattern on age-structure with cognate species. We found that the high survival rates of the Torkul Lake population (female = 0.81; male = 0.77) may result from a low human interference and favourable climatic conditions.
Relationships between phylogenetic relatedness, hybrid zone spatial structure, the amount of interspecific gene flow and population demography were investigated, with the newt genus Triturus as a model system. In earlier work, a bimodal hybrid zone of two distantly related species combined low interspecific gene flow with hybrid sterility and heterosis was documented. Apart from that, a suite of unimodal hybrid zones in closely related Triturus showed more or less extensive introgressive hybridization with no evidence for heterosis. We here report on population demography and interspecific gene flow in two Triturus species ( T. macedonicus and T. ivanbureschi in Serbia). These are two that are moderately related, engage in a heterogeneous uni-/bimodal hybrid zone and hence represent an intermediate situation. This study used 13 diagnostic nuclear genetic markers in a population at the species contact zone. This showed that all individuals were hybrids, with no parentals detected. Age, size and longevity and the estimated growth curves are not exceeding that of the parental species, so that we conclude the absence of heterosis in T. macedonicus – T. ivanbureschi . Observations across the genus support the hypothesis that fertile hybrids allocate resources to reproduction and infertile hybrids allocate resources to growth. Several Triturus species hybrid zones not yet studied allow the testing of this hypothesis.
In this study, the age structure and some life history traits were revealed for the first time in a population
of Ommatotriton vittatus, living in Tarsus (mid-south part of Turkey), at the western limit of the species’ range. Maximum
longevity was recorded to be eight years in both females and males and age at maturity was estimated as three
years for males and four years for females. Although mean age did not differ significantly between sexes, males had
significantly larger snout-vent length (SVL) than females. Age and body size were positively correlated with each other
for both females and males. Since the populations of the Southern Banded Newt in Turkey are in decline, the present
study that provides preliminary data on life history traits of this newt could be helpful for future biological studies.
Populations from different environmental habitats indicate variation in life history traits and these differences are mostly related to longevity, age and size at maturity. In this study, age structure, longevity, sur-vivorship and sexual size dimorphism of Near Eastern fire salamander (Salamandra infraimmaculata) were assessed by means of skeletochronological analysis. Maximum lifespan was recorded to be twelve years in females and eleven years in males and age at maturity was estimated as three and four years for both sexes. Females had significantly larger SVL than that of males, while age structure and mean age did not differ between sexes. Age and body size were positively correlated with each other for both females and males. Since the populations of the Near Eastern fire salamander in Turkey are in decline, the present study which provides preliminary data on life history traits of this species could be helpful for future biological studies.
The ‘smooth newt’, the taxon traditionally referred to as Lissotriton vulgaris, consists of multiple morphologically distinct taxa. Given the uncertainty concerning the validity and rank of these taxa, L. vulgaris sensu lato has often been treated as a single, polytypic species. A recent study, driven by genetic data, proposed to recognize five species, L. graecus, L. kosswigi, L. lantzi, L. schmidtleri and a more restricted L. vulgaris. The Carpathian newt L. montandoni was confirmed to be a closely related sister species. We propose to refer to this collective of six Lissotriton species as the smooth newt or Lissotriton vulgaris species complex. Guided by comprehensive genomic data from throughout the range of the smooth newt species complex we 1) delineate the distribution ranges, 2) provide a distribution database, and 3) produce distribution maps according to the format of the New Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles of Europe, for the six constituent species. This allows us to 4) highlight regions where more research is needed to determine the position of contact zones.
Here we present the age structure of a breeding Caucasian Salamander population from a high-altitude locality
(Kazýkbeli Plateau, Kürtün, Gümüþhane; 2213 m a.s.l.). Age structure was analyzed by counting lines of arrested growth (LAG). Endosteal resorption raised difficulties of counting LAGs. Males were found to be average older than females. Range of age was from 5 to 11 years in males, 4 to 8 years in females and 1 to 3 years in juveniles. Snout-vent length (SVL) of each individual was used as body size and mean values were recorded as 64.24 mm in males, 58.45 mm in females, and 44.60 mm in juveniles. Difference of SVL between sexes was found statistically significant. Meanwhile, male-biased sexual dimorphism was calculated (SDI = –0.099). The SVL was correlated with age in both sexes as strongly positive.
We studied the characteristics of bone growth (assessed by skeletochronology), egg characteristics (jelly and vitellus volume and jelly/vitellus ratio), sexual dimorphism and the ontogenetic development in the Balkan-Anatolian crested newt Triturus ivanbureschi populations from Sofia district in Western Bulgaria. The timing and patterns of bone arrested growth were observed using the phalanges of adults that were caught in spring/summer at a breeding site. Body length and age were similar in males and females. The age at maturity was 3 to 4 years and longevity was 8 and 11 years in males and females respectively. A difference in egg size characteristics between the two populations was detected and we hypothesize that it is due to a difference in habitat conditions. The ontogenetic development was traced from a fertilized egg to a fully metamorphosed individual and took approximately 4 months. We compared our results to available data on other Triturus species and tested for relation between climatic zone and longevity.
We estimated the age, size, and growth patterns of the Southern Crested Newt, Triturus karelinii, from northwest Anatolia using skeletochronology. Lines of arrested growth (LAGs) recorded in phalanges allowed us to estimate the age of juveniles and adults. Results showed that age at maturity in this population was 3 years. The average ages of the males and females in this population were calculated as 5.07±1.36 and 5.00±1.63 years, respectively. Males attained a maximum age of 9 years, whereas females attained a maximum age of 8 years. No significant differences were found between the age distributions of the two sexes. Mean body length of males was significantly smaller than that of females. Growth of the Southern Crested Newt was well described by the von Bertalanffy model, and males and females did not differ in growth parameters. These growth parameters were compared with those obtained from other amphibians, especially salamandrids.