We studied the genetic differentiation and taxonomy of the bent-wing bat (Miniopterus) populations
occurring in Iran by analyzing the mitochondrial cytochrome-b(687 bp) sequences. Molecular data provided
by the present study exhibit a closer average K2P genetic
distance among the Miniopteruspopulations in Iran and
Azerbaijan (0.05) than that among those in Iran and Turkey (1.38), Iran and Spain (2.93) and Iran and Georgia
(3.16). Moreover, the phylogenetic trees showed that all
Iranian and Azerbaijani samples, as well as those from
East Turkey, are grouped in the same clade, whereas the
samples from other parts of Turkey, Spain and Georgia
belong to another clade. These results suggest that the
Miniopteruspopulations in Iran and Azerbaijan, together
with those from East Turkey, are in factMiniopterus
pallidus, whereas the other Turkish samples, together
with those from Georgia and western Europe, belong to
Miniopterus schreibersii
