Phylogeny and evolution of the genus Barbus in the Iberian Peninsula as revealed by allozyme electrophoresis

Abstract

Variation of 14 enzyme systems encoded by 31 presumptive loci in different barbel species was studied using starch gel electrophoresis. Eighteen samples representing 11 Barbus tetraploid taxa were taken, including 10 populations from the Iberian Peninsula, six from other parts of western and southern Europe, one from northern Africa and one diploid species as outgroup from Asia Minor. The genetic analysis reassessed of the taxonomic status of the Iberian barbels into two distinct species groups. The first group included B. bocagei, B. comiza, B. graellsii, B. gulraonis, B. microcephalus, and B. sclateri, that aligned with B. callensis from northern Africa and with B. apoensis from Asia Minor; the other group included B. haasi and B. merldlonahs that was related to the European species, B. barbus, B. plebejus and B. peloponnesius. These groups are probably not monophyletic. It is suggested that the isolation of the Iberian Peninsula from Europe since the Oligocene‐Miocene may explain the genetic affinities of the Iberian barbels with those of North African rather than with the European group.