Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 15, 2026

Demonstration of the Sequence Alignment to Predict Across Species Susceptibility Tool for Rapid Assessment of Protein Conservation
Published on: February 10, 2023
Conservation Below the Species Level: Suitable Evolutionarily Significant Units among Mountain Vipers (the
Roozbeh Behrooz1, Mohammad Kaboli2, Véronique Arnal1
1CEFE, PSL-EPHE (Biogéographie et Ecologie des Vertébrés), CNRS, Univ. Montpellier, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier, IRD, Montpellier, France.
Abstract:
Northern and western mountains of Iran are among the most important biodiversity and endemism hot spots for reptiles in the Middle East. Among herpetofauna, the montivipers represent an emblematic and fragmented endemic group for which estimating their level of genetic differentiation and defining conservation priorities is urgently needed. Here, we present the most comprehensive phylogenetic study on the Montivipera raddei species group comprising all 5 known taxa, among which 3 are endemic to Iran. Based on 2 mitochondrial genes, phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses revealed 3 major lineages each presenting very contrasting distribution areas. The Iranian montivipers are highly structured in clades showing low genetic diversity and corresponding to high altitude summits. Molecular dating revealed the role of Quaternary paleo-climatic oscillations and altitudinal movements of montivipers in shaping genetic diversity and differentiation of these sky-island taxa. In addition, the best scenario of historical biogeography allowed identifying 3 possible refugial areas in Iran most likely arising by vicariance. Based on our mitochondrial results and pending additional data, we recognize 3 candidate species among the M. raddei complex: M. raddei, Montivipera latifii, and Montivipera kuhrangica that are coherent with their geographical distribution. We propose that the most appropriate evolutionary significant units for conservation of the montivipers are represented by 13 units among which 6 are recognized as high priority. Finally, we suggest some recommendations to the IUCN as well as to the Iranian conservation policies with respect to conservation prioritization.
More Related Videos
06:23The 4 Mountains Test: A Short Test of Spatial Memory with High Sensitivity for the Diagnosis of Pre-dementia Alzheimer's Disease
Published on: October 13, 2016
06:44Hydrolysis of a Ni-Schiff-Base Complex Using Conditions Suitable for Retention of Acid-labile Protecting Groups
Published on: April 6, 2017
Related Concept Videos
Multi-species Conserved Sequences
Although the genome of each species varies greatly from each other, a few sequences are highly conserved. Such conserved...
What is Conservation Biology?
Formation of Species
Conservation of Small Populations
What is a Species?
Conserved Binding Sites
Binding sites are often located in large pockets, and if their location on a protein’s surface is unknown, it can be predicted using various approaches. The energetic method computationally...