M DIANAT - Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran
M. TARAHOMI - Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science, Tehran University, Iran
J. DARVISH - Rodentology Research Department, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran
M. ALIABADIAN - Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran

The genus Allactaga is a group of rodents with five morphospecies distributed in the Iranian plateau. In order to conduct a taxonomic revision at the species level, 27individuals were collected in the Iranian plateau from localities typical of each species. Phylogenetic relationships within species were analyzed using cytochrome oxidasesubunit I and morphometric data. Maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian analysis demonstrated that Hotson´s Jerboa and the Iranian Jerboa are identical,with very low molecular divergence. This was confirmed by biometrical analyses of cranial and dental characteristics. Both molecular and morphometric analyses separatedthe small five-toed Jerboa from the other species. In the phylogenetic tree and haplotype network, the taxonomic situation of the Toussi Jerboa as a new species is prominent, as had been concluded by morphometric data.

Cytochrome oxidase subunit I, taxonomy, morphometry, Allactaga