Oleg Vitaljevich Kukushkin
@karadag.com.ru
Depatrment of Biodiversity Studies and Ecological Monitoring
T. I. Vyazemsky Karadag Scientific Station - Nature Reserve of the Russian Academy of Sciences - Branch of A. O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of the Russian Academy of Sciences
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Herpetology
Scopus Publications
Scopus Publications
Manos Stratakis, Iraklis Koutmanis, Çetin Ilgaz, Daniel Jablonski, Oleg V. Kukushkin, Jelka Crnobrnja‐Isailovic, Miguel A. Carretero, Cristiano Liuzzi, Yusuf Kumlutaş, Petros Lymberakis,et al.
Wiley
Oleg V. Kukushkin
Folium Publishing Company
A case of a successful incubation of a clutch of the European glass lizard (Pseudopus apodus) under controlled laboratory conditions during July 22 – September 19, 2019 is reported here. Fully developed neonates hatched from all eggs (n = 7) on the 60th day of incubation. A detailed description of the temperature and humidity regimes of incubation as well as the size and weight characteristics of eggs and offsprings are provided. Moreover, protecting and caring female behavior in regards to the clutch within the first month of incubation was documented comprehensively for the first time. Some aspects of P. apodus reproductive biology such as parental care, oviposition terms, frequency of reproduction and female fecundity are discussed taking into account the data accumulated within the last decennary for the Crimean populations of the species. Likely causes for the non-annual breeding of females were analyzed
Małgorzata Mazur, Katarzyna A. Jadwiszczak, Agnieszka Bona, Yuliya Krasylenko, Oleg Kukushkin, and Katarzyna Marcysiak
Walter de Gruyter GmbH
Abstract Juniperus excelsa s. str. (Greek juniper) in Crimea is a relic species on the limits of its range, and represents the Mediterranean flora in the Sub-Mediterranean part of the peninsula. Its origin and history in this area remains unresolved. We aimed to analyze phylogeny and potential demographic expansion of the juniper in the Crimea as well as to study its morphological differentiation. We analyzed plant material from 59 trees inhabiting eight populations. Genetic variation assessments were based on the four non-coding chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) fragments and the nuclear internal transcribed spacer region ITS1-5,8S-ITS2 (ITS). To examine the morphological differentiation, eight measured/counted traits of cones, seeds, and shoots were chosen and eight ratios were calculated. Morphological parameters were compared using ANOVA, Student’s t test, discrimination analysis and Kruskal-Wallis and U Mann-Whitney tests. Two cpDNA fragments were polymorphic and, in total, 10 cpDNA haplotypes were found. Haplotype diversity (Hd) ranged from 0.0 to 0.9. Based on both cpDNA and ITS sequences variation, phylogenetic analyses revealed a close relationship of the Crimean junipers to the individuals from other parts of the species range. In general, our molecular results confirmed the low level of genetic differentiation of J. excelsa individuals inhabiting different parts of the species range, likely resulting from a common ancestry. Only slight morphological differences were found between populations with different geographic location or habitat. The analyzes showed the distinctness of the populations from the southern part of the coast. Some unique morphological and molecular features of southern coastal populations imply that they are remnants of Late Pleistocene abundant forests. We suggest that the recent fragmentation of the Juniperus populations in the Crimean Peninsula could have arisen during the Atlantic period of the Holocene.
Oleg Kukushkin, Oleg Ermakov, Iulian Gherghel, Svetlana Lukonina, Anton Svinin, Igor Doronin, Evgeniy Simonov, and Daniel Jablonski
Pensoft Publishers
Abstract The Lindholm rock lizard, Darevskia lindholmi, is the only member of the genus Darevskia whose range is restricted solely to Europe, representing a local endemism found only in the Crimean Mountains. In our study, we investigated the cytochrome b gene (mtDNA) of 101 D. lindholmi sequences from 65 Crimean localities, representing its entire range. We found that D. lindholmi is highly genetically structured, and its range is divided into populations belonging to three mitochondrial lineages. The Lindholm rock lizard populations inhabiting the middle part of the Crimean Mountains (further referred to as the Central lineage) are sharply differentiated from the other two lineages (the Common and the Southwestern lineages), which are present in most of the species range. The genetic distance between the Central lineage and the other two taken together is 4.6%, according to our results, suggesting that the divergence occurred during the Early Pleistocene. The narrowly distributed Southwestern lineage and the widespread Common lineage, on the other hand, are differentiated by 1%. Field observations on the representatives of the main evolutionary groups show that their ecology is also different: the Central lineage is a mesophilic and cold-resistant form, while the other two closely related lineages are more xerophilic and thermophilic. Results of the potential ranges modeling and ecological niche analysis confirm that the genetic lineages occupy different niches of the Crimea. Furthermore, the area of inhabitation of the Central lineage splits the western and eastern parts of the Common lineage range, while the Southwestern lineage is restricted along the coast of the southwestern coast of the peninsula. The long-term co-existence of deeply divergent sister mitochondrial lineages in a relatively small (circa 7,000 km2) isolated mountain system serves as a mesocosm for understanding the speciation process. Our data suggest that the Central lineage warrants further taxonomic investigation.
Daniel Jablonski, Marco Antônio Ribeiro-Júnior, Shai Meiri, Erez Maza, Oleg V. Kukushkin, Marina Chirikova, Angelika Pirosová, Dušan Jelić, Peter Mikulíček, and David Jandzik
Pensoft Publishers
The Levant represents one of the most important reptile diversity hotspots and centers of endemism in the Western Palearctic. The region harbored numerous taxa in glacial refugia during the Pleistocene climatic oscillations. Due to the hostile arid conditions in the warmer periods they were not always able to spread or come into contact with populations from more distant regions. One large and conspicuous member of the Levantine herpetofauna is the legless anguid lizardPseudopus apodus. This species is distributed from the Balkans to Central Asia with a portion of its range running along the eastern Mediterranean coast. Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences, microsatellite genotypes, and morphology show that populations in this region differ from the two named subspecies and presumably had a long independent evolutionary history during the Quaternary. Here we describe the Levantine population as a new subspecies and present biogeographic scenarios for its origin and diversification. The new subspecies is genetically highly diverse, and it forms a sister lineage toPseudopusfrom the remaining parts of the range according to mtDNA. It is the largest-bodied of the three subspecies, but occupies the smallest range.
Sarita Mahtani-Williams, William Fulton, Amelie Desvars-Larrive, Sara Lado, Jean Pierre Elbers, Bálint Halpern, Dávid Herczeg, Gergely Babocsay, Boris Lauš, Zoltán Tamás Nagy,et al.
MDPI AG
Across the distribution of the Caspian whipsnake (Dolichophis caspius), populations have become increasingly disconnected due to habitat alteration. To understand population dynamics and this widespread but locally endangered snake’s adaptive potential, we investigated population structure, admixture, and effective migration patterns. We took a landscape-genomic approach to identify selected genotypes associated with environmental variables relevant to D. caspius. With double-digest restriction-site associated DNA (ddRAD) sequencing of 53 samples resulting in 17,518 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we identified 8 clusters within D. caspius reflecting complex evolutionary patterns of the species. Estimated Effective Migration Surfaces (EEMS) revealed higher-than-average gene flow in most of the Balkan Peninsula and lower-than-average gene flow along the middle section of the Danube River. Landscape genomic analysis identified 751 selected genotypes correlated with 7 climatic variables. Isothermality correlated with the highest number of selected genotypes (478) located in 41 genes, followed by annual range (127) and annual mean temperature (87). We conclude that environmental variables, especially the day-to-night temperature oscillation in comparison to the summer-to-winter oscillation, may have an important role in the distribution and adaptation of D. caspius.
O.V. Kukushkin, , O.A. Ermakov, A.Yu. Ivanov, I.V. Doronin, E.Yu. Sviridenko, E.P. Simonov, R.A. Gorelov, M.A. Khramova, I.G. Blokhin,et al.
Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences
The contact zones of the distribution ranges of closely related reptile taxa are the source of valuable data on the microevolutionary processes in populations, the history of regional faunas origin, and the environmental preferences of the studied forms. Our study is focused on the genetic structure of the populations of sand lizard, Lacerta agilis Linnaeus, 1758, at the Crimean peninsula. This lacertid species inhabits the mountain (afforested) and plain (steppe) parts of the Crimea, being abundant or common in many areas. Lacerta agilis is represented in the Crimea by two subspecies: the widely distributed Eastern (L. a. exigua Eichwald, 1831) inhabiting a large part of Northern Eurasia, and the endemic (L. a. tauridica Suchow, 1927) residing in the Crimean mountains. Mitochondrial haplogroup affiliation corresponding to one of the subspecies (L. a. tauridica, L. a. exigua or L. a. chersonensis) was established for 225 L. agilis individuals from 81 localities in the Crimea and adjacent mainland territories. The nucleotide sequences of the complete cytochrome b gene of mitochondrial DNA (1143 bp) were studied in 75 L. agilis individuals from 68 localities. The genetic distance between both subspecies inhabiting the Crimea revealed by used molecular marker comprised 2.8%, which indicates their early divergence approximately at the transition of Early to Middle Pleistocene (ca. 1 Mya). L. a. tauridica is characterized by a comparatively deep genetic structure. Haplotypes occupying isolated positions on the phylogenetic tree of this subspecies were found in the south-western part of the Crimean Mountains, what might be explained by the localization of L. agilis microrefugia in areas least affected by the Late Pleistocene cooling. Genetic structure of L. a. exigua is more homogeneous. Another important result of our study was an identification of zones of haplogroups «exigua» and «tauridica» coexistence localized along the northern and eastern margins of the Crimean Mountains. The portion of the «exigua» haplogroup in local populations decreases southward and westward. The observed pattern of the spatial distribution of haplogroups seems to be a result of the hybridization zone formation between the sand lizard subspecies during the Holocene expansion of L. a. exigua. Ecological niches modeling for L. agilis subspecies and analysis of morphological variability of the lizards support the hypothesis of L. a. exigua and L. a. tauridica hybridization in the area of contact of their ranges in the eastern part of the Crimean Mountains.
Daniel Jablonski, Oleg V. Kukushkin, Aziz Avcı, Sabina Bunyatova, Yusuf Kumlutaş, Çetin Ilgaz, Ekaterina Polyakova, Konstantin Shiryaev, Boris Tuniyev, and David Jandzik
PeerJ
Background The rat snake genus Elaphe once comprised several dozens of species distributed in temperate through tropical zones of the New and Old World. Based on molecular-genetic analyses in early 2000s, the genus was split into several separate genera, leaving only 15 Palearctic and Oriental species as its members. One of the three species also occurring in Europe is Elaphe sauromates, a robust snake from the Balkans, Anatolia, Caucasus, Ponto-Caspian steppes, and Levant that has been suspected to be composed of two or more genetically diverse populations. Here, we studied the genetic structure and morphological variation of E. sauromates, aiming to better understand its inter-population relationships and biogeography, and subsequently revise its taxonomy. Methods We reconstructed the phylogeography and analyzed the genetic structure of E. sauromates populations originating from most of its geographic range using both mitochondrial (COI, ND4) and nuclear (C-MOS, MC1R, PRLR, RAG1) DNA gene fragments. We employed Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods for the phylogenetic tree reconstructions, supplemented with species delimitation methods, analysis of haplotype networks, and calculation of uncorrected p-distances. Morphological variation in 15 metric and 18 meristic characters was studied using parametric univariate tests as well as multivariate general linearized models. In total, we analyzed sequences originating from 63 specimens and morphological data from 95 specimens of E. sauromates sensu lato. Results The molecular phylogeny identified two clearly divergent sister lineages within E. sauromates, with both forming a lineage sister to E. quatuorlineata. The genetic distance between them (5.80–8.24% in mtDNA) is similar to the distances among several other species of the genus Elaphe. Both lineages are also moderately morphologically differentiated and, while none of the characters are exclusively diagnostic, their combination can be used for confident lineage identification. Here, following the criteria of genetic and evolutionary species concepts, we describe the lineage from eastern Anatolia and parts of the Lesser and Great Caucasus as a new species E. urartica sp. nov. Discussion Elaphe urartica sp. nov. represents a cryptic species whose ancestors presumably diverged from their common ancestor with E. sauromates around the Miocene-Pliocene boundary. The intraspecific genetic structure indicates that the recent diversity of both species has been predominantly shaped by Pleistocene climatic oscillations, with glacial refugia mainly located in the Balkans, Crimea, and/or Anatolia in E. sauromates and Anatolia and/or the Caucasus in E. urartica sp. nov.
Daniel Jablonski, Katarina Soltys, Oleg V. Kukushkin, and Evgeniy Simonov
Informa UK Limited
Abstract Here, we present the complete mitochondrial genome of the Blotched snake, Elaphe sauromates (Pallas, 1814). Mitogenome complete sequence is 17,187 bp long and consists of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two rRNA genes, and 22 tRNA genes and two control regions. The species mitochondrial genome has the same gene order as other mitogenomes of Elaphe spp. Their analysed genome has base composition as: 34.8% (A), 26.8% (C), 25.7% (T), and 12.7% (G), with an A + T bias (60.5%). Presented mitogenome will provide new data for phylogenetic analysis within the genus Elaphe.
Oleg Kukushkin, Alexander Trofimov, Ilya Turbanov, and Victor Slodkevich
Cherepovets State University
Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Polyakova, Ilya Sergeevich Korshunov, Svetlana Petrovna Popovskaya, and Oleg Vitaljevich Kukushkin
Folium Publishing Company
Presented data on the reproductive biology of two poorly studied species of the colubrid snakes of the Crimean fauna (Leopard snake, Zamenis situla; Blotched ratsnake, Elaphe sauromates) are based on the experience of their captive breeding and observations in nature. Reproductive characteristics of the both species in different parts of their ranges are compared. Some regional features of the Crimean Z. situla population in relation to fecundity of females and their body size upon sexual maturity reaching are revealed. An importance of alive collections of reptiles for in-depth study of the rare species biology and their effective protection is discussed.
Daniel Jablonski, Zoltán T. Nagy, Aziz Avcı, Kurtuluş Olgun, Oleg V. Kukushkin, Barbod Safaei-Mahroo, and David Jandzik
Brill
Abstract The smooth snake, Coronella austriaca, is a common snake species widespread in the Western Palearctic region. It does not form conspicuous morphological variants and, although several evolutionary lineages have been distinguished based on the analyses of the mitochondrial DNA sequences, only two subspecies with very limited distribution have been traditionally recognized. Here we present an mtDNA phylogeography of the species using geographically extended sampling while incorporating biogeographically important areas that have not been analyzed before, such as Anatolia, Crimea, and Iran. We find that the smooth snake comprises 14 distinct phylogenetic clades with unclear mutual relationships, characterized by complex genetic structure and relatively deep divergences; some of them presumably of Miocene origin. In general, the biogeographic pattern is similar to other Western Palearctic reptiles and illustrates the importance of the main European peninsulas as well as the Anatolian mountains, Caucasus, and Alborz Mts. in Iran for the evolution of the present-day diversity. Considerable genetic structure present in the smooth snake populations within these large areas indicates the existence of several regional Plio-Pleistocene refugia that served as reservoirs for dispersal and population expansions after the glacial periods. The current taxonomy of C. austriaca does not reflect the rich genetic diversity, deep divergences, and overall evolutionary history revealed in our study and requires a thorough revision. This will only be possible with an even higher-resolution sampling and integrative approach, combining analyses of multiple genetic loci with morphology, and possibly other aspects of the smooth snake biology.
Ilya S. Turbanov, Oleg Vitaljevich Kukushkin, and Robert S. Vargovitsh
Folium Publishing Company
The current paper summarizes old and recent herptiles records in the karst cavities of the Crimean Mountains, highlighting also the means of entry of poikilothermic vertebrates into the karst. It was found that the underground habitats are on purpose utilized by some amphibians and reptiles, characterized by mostly crepuscular and/or night activity as well as by the pronounced ability to move on the vertical surfaces and, in many cases, by the synanthropization tendency. One of the prerequisites for the animals’ entry to the karst might be their habitat’s conditions such as arid climate, absence of the forest, harsh winters at the upper distribution limit.
Panayiota Kotsakiozi, Daniel Jablonski, Çetin Ilgaz, Yusuf Kumlutaş, Aziz Avcı, Shai Meiri, Yuval Itescu, Oleg Kukushkin, Václav Gvoždík, Giovanni Scillitani,et al.
Elsevier BV
Nikolaos Psonis, Aglaia Antoniou, Emmanouela Karameta, Adam D. Leaché, Panayiota Kotsakiozi, Diego Darriba, Alexey Kozlov, Alexandros Stamatakis, Dimitris Poursanidis, Oleg Kukushkin,et al.
Elsevier BV
David Jandzik, Daniel Jablonski, Oleksandr Zinenko, Oleg V. Kukushkin, Jiří Moravec, and Václav Gvoždík
Wiley
Climatic changes during the Pleistocene played an instrumental role in the shaping recent distribution and diversity of the Western Palearctic biota. Range oscillations often lead to allopatric differentiation followed by the establishment of secondary contact zones. As a result, many species are composed of complex networks of phylogenetic lineages with different histories. Pseudopus apodus is the only surviving member of an ancient genus of Western Palearctic anguid lizards (Anguidae) distributed from the Balkans through Anatolia and Caucasus to central Asia. Here, we used mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences to reconstruct the evolutionary history of the species in phylogeographic and demographic frameworks. Our analyses revealed three main phylogenetic lineages that diverged during or shortly before the Pleistocene. Two of them more or less correspond to the known subspecies, and their low genetic variability suggests relatively recent dispersal and colonization of vast parts of the range. The third, southern, lineage is more geographically restricted and diversified than the other two. This pattern shows that the Quaternary climatic oscillations presumably caused repeated large‐scale population extinctions of the species, depleting most of its diversity. Only a few refugia located in Anatolia, Levant, and Transcaucasia served as sources for subsequent recolonization to the areas of the recent distribution. This is in contrast to many other Western Palearctic reptiles that survived unfavorable climatic conditions in numerous local refugia and sanctuaries, which resulted in more complex phylogenetic structure.
Yuliya A. Krasylenko, Kateřina Janošíková, and Oleg V. Kukushkin
Canadian Science Publishing
Juniper dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium oxycedri (DC.) M. Bieb) is a semiparasitic species of Holarctic Cupressaceae hosts. This study updates the status of A. oxycedri and its hosts at the Crimean Peninsula, clearly defining them as principal (Eastern prickly juniper, Juniperus deltoides R.P. Adams), secondary (Greek juniper, J. excelsa M. Bieb.), occasional (rare) (Oriental thuja, Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco), and uncommon (other representatives of Juniperus, Cupressus, and Chamaecyparis genera). Using eight morphological characteristics (aerial shoot length, basal diameter, 1st/2nd/3rd internode lengths and widths), we investigated aerial shoot morphology of male and female A. oxycedri plants on three hosts and found host-dependent differences. Parasites on P. orientalis, a nonprincipal host, at different sites are smaller by comparison with both juniper hosts. Anthesis, fruit ripening, and seed release are host-dependent as well. Two fly species (Diptera), common greenbottle (Lucilia ceasar L.), ...
Nikolaos Psonis, Aglaia Antoniou, Oleg Kukushkin, Daniel Jablonski, Boyan Petrov, Jelka Crnobrnja-Isailović, Konstantinos Sotiropoulos, Iulian Gherghel, Petros Lymberakis, and Nikos Poulakakis
Elsevier BV
Oleksandr Zinenko, Nikolaus Stümpel, Lyudmila Mazanaeva, Andrey Bakiev, Konstantin Shiryaev, Aleksey Pavlov, Tatiana Kotenko, Oleg Kukushkin, Yury Chikin, Tatiana Duisebayeva,et al.
Elsevier BV
M. Bertrand, O. Kukushkin, and S. Pogrebnyak
National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Co. LTD Ukrinformnauka)
Geckobia sharygini Bertrand, Kukushkin et Pogrebnyak, sp. n., a parasite of gecko Mediodactylus kotschyi danilewskii (Strauch, 1887) collected from Crimea (Ukraine) is described. The new species differs from other species of the genus by the scutum with convex posterior edge and seven pairs of dorsal stout setae on scutum. Almost 89 % of mites were found on the ventral surface of lizard’s body. Maximum observed parasite charge is 60 specimens for a synanthropic locality and 17 mites for a natural locations. With exception of the newborn lizards, the infestation slightly increased from spring to autumn. The improved key to Pterygosomatidae and some Geckobia is provided. Position of G. sharygini sp. n. and some related species in the genus Geckobia is discussed in connection with phylogeny, distribution and ecological peculiarities of the hosts.