Summary
60 fecal samples of gazelles in 18 different locations in Iran found 19 new unique haplotypes (a set of DNA variations that are inherited together) that are different from previously published haplotypes. Through the haplotypes, three different clades of gazelles were found; the Middle Eastern clade, Central Iranian clade, and Asiatic clade. The desert between central and northeastern Iran was the geographical barrier accounting for the creation of these subspecies, a finding contrary to previous hypotheses. A limitation is some of the haplotype sequences were not long enough and the authors had to fill in what was missing. A strength in this study is the large sample size of gazelles. Additionally, examining haplotypes gives more specific results rather than looking at genotype as a whole. This study suggests that these different clades and genetic variations need to be taken into account for translocation, breeding programs, and other conservation efforts to increase survivability rate and avoid breeding complications.
Goitered gazelles, Gazella subgutturosa, exist in arid and semiarid regions of Asia from the Middle to the Far East. Although large populations were present over a vast area until recently, a decline of the population as a result of hunting, poaching, and habitat loss led to the IUCN classification of G. subgutturosa as “vulnerable." We examined genetic diversity, structure, and phylogeny of G. subgutturosa using mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences from 18 geographically distant populations in Iran. The median-joining network of cyt b haplotypes indicated that three clades of goitered gazelles can be distinguished: a Middle Eastern clade west of the Zagros Mountains (and connected to populations in Turkey and Iraq), a Central Iranian clade (with connection to Azerbaijan), and an Asiatic clade in northeastern Iran (with connection to Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and other Asian countries as far as northeastern China and Mongolia). Based on our results, we argue that Iran is the center of diversification of goitered gazelles, due to the presence of large mountain ranges and deserts that lead to the separation of populations. In accordance with previous morphological studies, we identified the Asiatic clade as the subspecies G. s. yarkandensis, and the other two clades as the nominate form G. s. subgutturosa. The new genetic information for goitered gazelles in Iran provides the basis for future national conservation programs of this species.