Iranian Coastline Research Articles

Microsatellite markers indicate a different structure among three populations of the Caspian Roach, Rutilus rutilus caspicus (Jakowlew, 1870), in the Caspian Sea

The population structure of Rutilus rutilus caspicus (Jakowlew, 1870) from two locations on the Iranian coastline and one location in Russia was investigated using microsatellite DNA markers. Genomic DNA from 90 specimens and seven loci with reasonable polymorphism were amplified using a PCR approach The results showed that the lowest mean number of alleles per locus (6.42) was observed in the Russian population and the highest (7) in the Gorgan Bay population. The observed heterozygosity in the Anzali Wetland (0.59) population was higher than the other populations in Iran (Gorgan Bay: 0.5) and Russia (0.52). Significant to highly significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg expectations were found at more loci in Iranian populations than in the Russian. Population differentiation was modest among all populations. The highest and significant (0.044; p≤0.01) population differentiation (F st) value was between Iranian populations and Russian populations and the lowest and non-significant population differentiation (F st) value was between Iranian populations (0.012; p≤0.07). The estimated gene flow (N m) value between Iranian populations (Gorgan Bay and Anzali Wetland) across all the studied loci was the highest, while the Nm value between Iranian and Russian population was the lowest.

Genetic variation of Rutilus rutilus caspicus (Jakowlew 1870) populations in Iran based on random amplified polymorphic DNA markers: a preliminary study

Rutilus rutilus caspicus is regarded as a valuable fish species both for angling and commercial food in Iran. This fish is also considered as a significant food source for beluga sturgeon. The genetic diversity of this fish species collected from two geographical areas (Gorgan Bay and Anzali Wetland) along the Iranian coastline of the Caspian Sea was examined using the analysis of randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). Using 10 decamer primers, the total number of RAPD bands produced in both Gorgan Bay and Anzali Wetland populations were 94 bands. The percentages of polymorphic bands were comparable in Anzali Wetland (41.48%) and Gorgan Bay (43.61%), suggesting similar levels of polymorphism of the two populations to be used for establishing selective breeding programmes. The value of Nei's genetic distance (d=0.04) among populations was small, despite the large geographic separation. The data serve as a baseline analysis of current genetic diversity found among R. rutilus caspicus populations in Iran.

Application of mtDNA d-loop region for the study of Russian sturgeon population structure from Iranian coastline of the Caspian Sea

Summary The population structure of the Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) was investigated using PCR amplification of the mtDNA D-loop region. Seven composite haplotypes were detected and average nucleotide and haplotype diversity over all samples were found to be 0.05 ± 0.00 and 0.75 ± 0.00 (mean ± SE) respectively. Restriction digest of the mtDNA D-loop region detected two genotypes A and B with a relative high frequencies of 0.5 and 0.36 respectively. These two genotypes (A and B) can be considered as potential genetic markers for different biological groups, stocks or seasonal races of Russian sturgeon. A maximum of 10.8% nucleotide diversity was found between haplotypes AAAAB and BBBBF. 100% heteroplasmy was found in Russian sturgeon and restriction digest of the mtDNA D-loop region also exhibited site heteroplasmy.

Quaternary marine terraces and tectonic uplift rates on the south coast of Iran

Abstract A survey of 1500 km of the Iranian coastline, from Bushehr (Persian Gulf) to the Pakistani border, made it possible to visit several sequences of raised marine terraces, some of which (especially on the Makran coast) had already been described by previous workers. As many as 18 marine terraces, up to 220 m in altitude, were identified on Qeshm Island and as many as 19 levels, up to 246 m in altitude, near Chah Bahar. Though in situ coral heads and fossilized marine shell deposits exist in many uplifted areas, only a few samples, mainly from elevations lower than 30m, appeared to be unrecrystallized and thus suitable for radiometric dating. Six uranium-series analyses of aragonitic corals from Haleh, Jazeh and Qeshm Is. gave apparent ages between 100 and 140 ka bp , in some cases demonstrating that previous radiocarbon dates between 20 and 40 ka bp had to be considered minimum ages. This made it possible to estimate that average uplift rates since the last Interglacial period had been about 0.2 mm/year, i.e. one order of magnitude less than most previous estimates. Radiocarbon dates suggest almost uniform emergence of 2–4 m since mid-Holocene times along most of the coastal sectors investigated. This is in agreement with the 2–3 m emergence predicted by glacio-hydro-isostatic models in this area if an uplift rate of about 0.2 mm/year is also taken into account. Near a salt dome on Qeshm Is., however, a much faster uplift rate of about 6 mm/year was documented for the period between 6 and 5 ka bp but only over a limited area.