Molecular genetics and ecological divergence time study of the cone snail species in the Persian Gulf

Marine gastropod genus Conus diversified rapidly during the Miocene includes the most speciesrich modern marine genus. The aim of this study is an expanded molecular phylogenetic analysis and divergence time of two dominant cone snail species from the Persian Gulf. The mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I sequence data of Conus coronatus and Conus frigidus species from the Persian Gulf were used to compare with the other Conus species in Viroconus and Virgoconus clades from the different regions. Moreover, divergence time of the Persian Gulf clusters was estimated from the substitution rate of the genome. Results showed, low differences between the Conus species of the Persian Gulf and Indo-Pacific, and divergence time of the Persian Gulf Conus species was about 2 million years ago. So, the Persian Gulf Conus species originated from the IndoPacific parallel to the geological events and after the Ice Age. Then, these species were transferred through the Indian Ocean to the Persian Gulf. These findings give use a knowledge of the origin and the evolution of these species in the Persian Gulf.