Author(s)

Sayed A. M. Amer, Metwally M. Montaser, Mohammed Shobrak

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Genetic variability of Passer domesticus from different localities of Saudi Arabia was investigated. Six hundred and fifty nine nucleotides were sequenced from the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. There was a slight difference among the studied haplotypes and most substitutions were synonymous. In some haplotypes at the west of Arabian Peninsula (mountainous habitat), two transitions only were non-synonymous. The data were used to construct the relationship of the Arabian house sparrow to its con specific taxa from Europe and America. Neigh-bor-joining (NJ), maximum-par-simony (MP) and maximum-likelihood (ML) analytical methods were used. The three methods showed clustering of the Arabian haplotypes in one group and their sister relationship with the haplotypes from Netherlands and America. A spanish Haplotypes came basal to both groups. Collecting more samples and more DNA data could be of necessary to clearly address the genetic variability of this rapidly propagated species in Arabia.

Saudi Arabia; House Sparrow; Mitochondrial DNA; Genetic Variability

Amer, S. , Montaser, M. and Shobrak, M. (2011) Preliminary molecular variability among haplotypes of Saudi Arabian house sparrow Passer domesticus. Open Journal of Ecology, 1, 73-76. doi: 10.4236/oje.2011.13010.