Poecılımon Sımılıs (Orthoptera: Tettıgonııdae) in Doğu Karadeniz Populasyonları Arasındaki Genetik Çeşitlilik-Coğrafi Dağılım İlişkisinin Merkez-Perifer Hipotezi Çerçevesinde Sınanması

Abstract

Poecilimon similis (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) is a bush cricket species which is endemic to East Black Sea Region of Turkey. The distribution pattern of the species is defined as continuous inside Fırtına Valley and as fragmented along eastward and westward from the valley. East Black Sea Region has a characteristic topographic and climatic structure that profoundly impacts the whole eco-evolutionary dynamics of organisms. Thereby, P. similis is an appropriate model organism to test Central-Peripheral Marginal Hypothesis that has statements about the versatile interactions between the genetic-morphologic structure and the geographical range of species. This study unravels the neutral genetic variation and differentiation patterns of P. similis based on COI gene region data. According to the results, the genetic variation reduces from centre (Fırtına Valley) to both peripheries (east and west limits of distribution) in the region.