The other authors (Inozemtsev, Pereshkolnik, 1987) basing on the areological analisys on faunistic characteristics of other species of mediterranean and eastern mediterranean reptiles, using also floristic parametres according to some authors (Grebenshikov et al., 1990; et.al.) researching the characteristics of distribution, habitats, day andseasonal activity, dicided the tortoise to be autohtonic element in the complex of mediterranean ecosystems remaind here since Tertiary time.
Material and methodsLitereture data were used for the analisys of the land genesis at Caucasus region.
Investigation of the Black Sea population of Testudo graeca nikolskii was conducted at Abrau peninsula at the sample transects and squares. The data on T.g. ibera from the CaspianSea coast were given to us by M. V.Galichenko. The tortoises were measured according to the standard methods. We had got the seria of measurements of adult individuals larger than 170 mm: 44 males from the Black Sea coast and 49 - from the Caspian Sea coast. Six standard measurements were made on each individual: the length, the width, the height, the length of three plastron shields saparately (b, e-max, e-min).
Determination of morphological similarity of males from two populations was conducted with the help of “coefficient of differences” using the rule “75” ( Mair, 1971).
Nib - Ma
CD =
SDa + SDb
Mb, Ma - the arithmatic-mean parametres according to the saparate measurement for each population Sda, SDb - the arithmatic-mean divergence according to the saparate measurement for each population.
According to the “75% rule” the population is believed to be the saparate subspecies if 75% of its individuals differ from the main part (97%) of the previously sapparated subspecies. In this case CD is eaquil near 1,28The results and discution
The history o f appearance of the isolated part of the Testudo graeca area at the Black Sea coast o f Russia is not found out till now. In order to understand the occurence of this population we may analyse the historical way of the development of inland seas of the Caucasus region, the changes of the climate from ther middle Pliocene till our days. The theory of the penetration of tortoises to the north-eastern part of the Caucasus through Pontida. (Inozemtsev, Pereshkolnik, 1987) is rother debatable. The Pontic land reached its maximum development at the end of Pliocene (Puzanov, 1929). At that period the tortoise Testudo bosporica riabini existed there. The remains of it were found in Crimia near Kerch and Opuk mountain ( Chikvadze, 1989). But at that time they couldn’t appear at the Caucasus because of the water barrier. In the middle o f Pliocene (Cimmerian century) the Pontic sea bigan to reduce in its size and divided into separate basins. The Pontic Sea separated from the Caspian sea. The ancient boader of the Pontic Sea