Active fault zones of Armenia, SE Turkey and NW Iran present a diverse set of interrelated
natural hazards. Three regional case studies in this cross-border zone are examined to show …

The origin of domestic dogs remains controversial, with genetic data indicating a separation
between modern dogs and wolves in the Late Pleistocene. However, only a few dog-like …

The past decade has witnessed an explosion of genome sequencing and mapping in
evolutionary diverse species. While full genome sequencing of mammals is rapidly progressing, …

Background Sex-determining systems have evolved independently in vertebrates. Placental
mammals and marsupials have an XY system, birds have a ZW system. Reptiles and …

Late Pleistocene and Holocene activity on major faults of western and central Asia are
inferred from offsets of young topography. Large active strike-slip faults bound the northward-…

The great karyotypic differences between camel, cattle and pig, three important domestic
animals, have been a challenge for comparative cytogenetic studies based on conventional …

The divergence of lineages leading to extant squamate reptiles (lizards, snakes, and
amphisbaenians) and birds occurred about 275 million years ago. Birds, unlike squamates, have …

The evolutionary success of rodents of the superfamily Muroidea makes this taxon the most
interesting for evolution studies, including study at the chromosomal level. Chromosome-…

Monitor lizards are unique among ectothermic reptiles in that they have high aerobic capacity
and distinctive cardiovascular physiology resembling that of endothermic mammals. Here, …

Background Acipenseriformes take a basal position among Actinopteri and demonstrate a
striking ploidy variation among species. The sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus, Linnaeus, 1758; …