|
Evolutionary history, genetic diversity and human impact on selected leuciscids from the southern Balkans
Viñuela Rodríguez, Nuria ; Vukićová, Jasna (advisor) ; Perea, Silvia (referee) ; Kalous, Lukáš (referee)
- ABSTRACT - Fishes represent the most diverse group of vertebrates on Earth, with freshwater fishes accounting for half of this diversity, and occupying a mere 0.01 % of the world's water surface. The Balkans are considered a European hotspot of biodiversity, and its southern section is recognized as centre of ichthyological diversity, characterized by its exceptional richness and endemicity. Within the southern Balkans, the Ionian ecoregion stands out as one of the most isolated ichthyological regions in Europe due to its very complex geological history and the variety of events that influenced its ichthyofaunal composition. All fish species inhabiting the Ionian region are endemic, and most of them display reduced distribution areas with a marked geographic pattern. The western Aegean region, on the contrary, is considered a species-poor ecoregion within the southern Balkans, despite also harbouring a significant number of endemic species. However interesting the region of the southern Balkans is in terms of its ichthyofauna, there is a lack of knowledge for many of the fish species inhabiting them. In this thesis, we address some of these knowledge gaps for two representative genera, Pelasgus and Telestes, of the most diverse family in the area (Leuciscidae), with the aim to better understand the...
|
|
Telestes perspective on the karstic poljes of eastern Herzegovina
Doulíková, Tereza ; Vukićová, Jasna (advisor) ; Choleva, Lukáš (referee)
The Dinaric karst region in the Balkans is one of the hot spots of biodiversity with a high number of endemic freshwater fish. The major cause of the high degree of endemism are numerous paleoclimatic and geological events that have affected the formation of the entire area. Flows of karst poljes represent a specific ecosystem to which some fishes have adapted. The poljes have been periodically flooded and these floods may activate different underground channels, which lead to interconnection of poljes. These fish species spend a part of the year in surface water and a part in groundwater and they may use the underground flows between poljes for migration. The aim of this thesis is to evaluate the genetic variability of two endemic fish species of the genus Telestes living in karst poljes in the region of eastern Herzegovina, and to detect a possible current gene flow between populations of these species due to the connection of underground flows. For this purpose, the DNA from 102 individuals from five different localities was isolated. The mitochondrial marker cytochrom b and 16 microsatellite loci were used for the analyses. The results point to very low variability between species and populations. Based on mitochondrial marker analysis, no link between populations of the species was detected,...
|
|
Telestes perspective on the karstic poljes of eastern Herzegovina
Doulíková, Tereza ; Vukićová, Jasna (advisor) ; Choleva, Lukáš (referee)
The Dinaric karst region in the Balkans is one of the hot spots of biodiversity with a high number of endemic freshwater fish. The major cause of the high degree of endemism are numerous paleoclimatic and geological events that have affected the formation of the entire area. Flows of karst poljes represent a specific ecosystem to which some fishes have adapted. The poljes have been periodically flooded and these floods may activate different underground channels, which lead to interconnection of poljes. These fish species spend a part of the year in surface water and a part in groundwater and they may use the underground flows between poljes for migration. The aim of this thesis is to evaluate the genetic variability of two endemic fish species of the genus Telestes living in karst poljes in the region of eastern Herzegovina, and to detect a possible current gene flow between populations of these species due to the connection of underground flows. For this purpose, the DNA from 102 individuals from five different localities was isolated. The mitochondrial marker cytochrom b and 16 microsatellite loci were used for the analyses. The results point to very low variability between species and populations. Based on mitochondrial marker analysis, no link between populations of the species was detected,...
|