University of Isfahan Taxonomy and Biosystematics 3115-9001 13 49 2021 12 22 Examining the Molecular Phylogeny of the Egyptian Barbastelle (Barbastella Leucomelas) based on the Mitochondrial COI Gene: A New Report from Iran فیلوژنی مولکولی خفاش‌ گوش‌پهن مصری (Barbastella leucomelas) براساس ژن میتوکندریایی COI: گزارشی جدید از ایران 29 42 26480 10.22108/tbj.2022.131931.1190 EN Aliasghar Zarei Ph. D. Student, Department of Environment, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran Sohrab Ashrafi Professor, Department of Environment, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran Afshin Alizadeh Shabani Professor, Department of Environment, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran Journal Article 2021 12 20 Phylogenetic inference is a keystone in evolutionary biology research, which provides the foundations for thinking and answering a wide range of questions such as population dynamics and statistical species classification. Barbastelle bats have geographically isolated populations, and the possibility of cryptic species within the distribution range of this genus has been predicted in previous studies. Previously, different populations of Barbastelle bats in Iran have been assigned to two species: Caspian Barbastelle (<em>Barbastella</em> <em>caspica</em>), and European Barbastelle (<em>Barbastella</em> <em>barbastellus</em>). In the present study, the phylogeny of the Egyptian Barbastelle population in Qazvin province in Iran was investigated. Molecular phylogeny of Egyptian barbastelle, which belongs to the Caspian Barbastelle, was compared with other taxa of this genus based on the mitochondrial COI gene. The results of the study showed that the populations of the southern slopes of the Alborz Mountains and possibly the populations of central and western Iran could not be classified as Caspian Barbastelle. Rather, from a Phylogenetic point of view and based on the observed genetic similarity, this population was closer to the Egyptian form (<em>Barbastella</em> <em>leucomelas</em>) of this genus. https://tbj.ui.ac.ir/article_26480_4baf9647759cf1d6006a76306e8c3bff.pdf