COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE COMPOSITION OF THE TERRESTRIAL FAUNA AND FLORA OF THE TETHYS DESERT-STEPPE REGION OF PALEARARTICS, BIOGEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES OF THE CAUCASUS. MESSAGE 3. MAIN POINTS OF FORMATION OF THE BIOTA OF THE CAUCASUS

Aim. The aim is to analyze the main points of the formation of the biota of the Caucasus.

Results. Discussed points: the boundaries of the Tethys desert-steppe belt of the Palaearctic and the place of the Caucasus in it, as well as the role of marine littoral complexes and the islands of the Tethys ocean, orogenetic ascent of the mountain biota in the process of formation. To cover the wide range of environmental parameters and at the same time, major taxonomic groups, in the research were used the materials on the biological diversity of families of Carabidae (328 genera, 7213 species), Tenebrionidae (378 genera, 4914 species), Scarabacidae (263 genera, 2227 species), Elateridae (112 genera, 1451 species); land snails (429 genera, 2614 species), soil mites (381 genera, 1506 species); 17487 species of 1242 plant genera were also examined.

Conclusion. All the summarized, comparative materials and outgoing conclusions are original and unique. The biogeographical analysis of this vast material with completely different phylogenetics, bionomy, ecology, carried out according to monotypic method, shows that in the Tethys desert-steppe belt of the Palaearctic, the distribution of all studied model groups of animals and plants has a similar character subject to general patterns. 

1. Abdurakhmanov G.M., Nabozhenko M.V., Abdurakhmanov A.G., Teymurov A.A., Daudova M.G., Magomedova M.Z., Gasangadzhieva A.G., Gadzhiev A.A., Ivanushenko Yu.Yu., Klycheva S.M. Comparative analysis of the composition of the terrestrial fauna and flora of the Tethys desert-steppe region of Palearartics, biogeographic boundaries of the Caucasus. Message 1. Terrestrial fauna. South of Russia: ecology, development. 2017, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 9-45. (In Russian) DOI: 10.18470/1992-1098-2017-2-9-45

2. Abdurakhmanov G.M., Teymurov A.A., Abdurakhmanov A.G., Nabozhenko M.V., Gasangadzhieva A.G., Gadzhiev A.A., Daudova M.G., Magomedova M.Z., Ivanushenko Yu.Yu., Klycheva S.M. Comparative analysis of the composition of the terrestrial fauna and flora of the Tethys desert-steppe region of Palearartics, biogeographic boundaries of the Caucasus. Message 2. Flora. South of Russia: ecology, development. 2017, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 46-72. (In Russian) DOI: 10.18470/1992-1098-2017-2-46-72

3. Popov S.V., Rögl F., Rozanov A.Yu., Steiniger F.F., Shcherba I.G., Kovac M. Lithological-Paleogeographic maps of Paratethys. Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, 250. 2004, pp. 1-46: maps 1-10.

4. Popov M.G. The main features of the history of the development of the flora of Central Asia. Bi︠u︡lletenʹ Sredne-aziatskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. 1927. no. 15. pp. 239-292. (In Russian)

5. Agakhanyants O.E. Aridnye gory SSSR [Arid Mountains of the USSR]. Moscow, Mysl Publ., 1981. 275 p.

6. Berg L.S. [Nomogenesis or evolution based on patterns] Trudy Geograficheskogo instituta [Proceedings of the Geographical Institute]. St. Peterburg. Gosudarstvennoe izdatel'stvo, 1922. 321 p.

7. Korovin E.P. Rastitel'nost' Srednei Azii i Yuzhnogo Kazakhstana [Vegetation of Central Asia and Southern Kazakhstan]. Moscow, Tashkent., Union of state publ., 1934. 478 p.

8. Korovin E.P. [Experience of botanical-geographical regionalization of Central Asia]. Trudy Tashkentskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta [Proceedings of the Tashkent state University]. 1961, New Series, 186 p.

9. Sinitsyn V.M. Tsentral'naya Aziya [Central Asia]. Moscow, Geografgiz Publ., 1959. (In Russian)

10. Sinitsyn V.M. Paleogeografiya Azii [Paleogeography of Asia]. Moscow–Leningrad, AN SSSR Publ., 1962. pp. 1-166. (In Russian)

11. Strakhov N.M. Osnovy teorii litogeneza [Fundamentals of the theory of lithogenesis]. Moscow, AN SSSR Publ., 1960. vol. 1. 212 p. (In Russian)

12. Murzaev E.M. Priroda Sin'tszyana i formirovanie pustyn' Tsentral'noi Azii [Nature of Xinjiang and the formation of Central Asian deserts]. Nauka Publ., 1966. 381 p. (In Russian)

13. Ilyin M.M. Some results of studying the flora of the deserts of Central Asia. In: Materialy po istorii flory i rastitel'nosti SSSR [Materials on the history of flora and vegetation of the USSR]. vol. II, 1946.

14. Ovchinnikov P.N. Osnovnye napravleniya vidoobrazovaniya v svyazi s proiskhozhdeniem tipov rastitel'nosti Srednei Azii [The main directions of speciation in connection with the origin of vegetation types in Central Asia]. Sbornik materialov yubileinoi sessii AN Tadzhikskoi SSR, posvyashchennoi 25-letiyu respubliki [Collection of materials of the jubilee session of the Academy of Sciences of the Tajik SSR, dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the republic]. Dushanbe, 1955. pp. 107-140.

15. Chediya O.K. South of Central Asia in the new era of mountain building. In: Kn. 1. Kontinental'nye kainozoiskie nakopleniya i geomorfologiya [Book 1. Continental Cenozoic Accumulation and Geomorphology]. Frunze, Ilim Publ., 1971. 331 p.

16. Chediya O.K. South of Central Asia in the new era of mountain building. In: Kn. II. Noveishaya tektonika i paleogeografiya [Book II. Newest tectonics and paleogeography]. Frunze, Ilim Publ., 1972, 225 p.

17. Pakhomov M.M. Fossil Pliocene-Ancient Quaternary Flora of the South-Western Pamirs. Doklady Akademii nauk SSSR [Reports of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR]. 1964. vol. 156. no. 2. pp. 328-330.

18. Nikonov A.A., Pakhomov M.M. To the stratigraphy of the Quaternary sediments and Pleistocene palaeogeography of the Western Pamirs and the Afghan Badakhshan. In: Palinologiya pleistotsena [Pleistocene Pleinology]. 1972. pp. 229-247.

19. Nikonov A.A., Pakhomov M.M. Stratigraphy and paleogeography of the anthropogen of Gorny Badakhshan (Tajik SSR, Afghanistan). Byulleten' Komissii po izucheniyu chetvertichnogo perioda [Bulletin of the Commission for the Study of the Quaternary]. 1976. no. 46. pp. 73-89.

20. Kryzhanovsky O.L. Sostav i proiskhozhdenie nazemnoy fauny Sredney Azii (glavnym obrazom na materiale pozhestkokrylym nasekomym) [Composition and origin of terrestrial fauna of Middle Asia (based on material of beetles)]. Moscow – Leningrad, Nauka Publ., 1965, 419 p. (In Russian).

21. Varga Z. Zoogeographical decomposition of the Palearctic boreal fauna. Zhurnal Obshchei biologii [Biology Bulletin Reviews]. 1976. vol. 37, no. 5. pp. 660-678.

22. Murzaev E.M. Priroda Sin'tszyana i formirovanie pustyn' Tsentral'noi Azii [The nature of Xinjiang and the formation of the deserts of Central Asia]. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1966. 384 p.

23. Markov K.K., Lazukov G.I., Nikolaev V.A. Chetvertichnyi period [Quaternary period]. Moscow, MGU Publ., 1965. vol. 2. 435 p. (In Russian)

24. Ovchinnikov P.N. Varzob Gorge as one of the sites of the botanical-geographical area of Ancient Middleearth. In: Flora i rastitel'nost' reki Varzob [Flora and vegetation of the Varzob River]. Leningrad, Nauka Publ., 1971. pp. 396-449.

25. Loskutov V.V. About tertiary sediments of the Pamirs. Materialy po geologii Pamira [Materials on the geology of the Pamirs]. Dushanbe, 1964. iss. 2. pp. 84-100.

26. Milanovskii E.E. Noveishaya tektonika Kavkaza [The newest tectonics of the Caucasus]. Moscow, Nedra Publ., 1968. 483 p. (In Russian)

27. Dumitrashko N.V. Gornye strany Evropeiskoi chasti SSSR i Kavkaza [Mountain countries of the European part of the USSR and the Caucasus]. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1974. pp. 90-227.

28. Petrov M.P. Types of deserts of Asia. In: Prirodnye usloviya, zhivotnovodstvo i kormovaya baza pustyn' [Natural conditions, livestock and fodder base of deserts]. Ashgabat, 1963.

29. Grigor'ev Yu.S. Sravnitel'no-ekologicheskoe issledovanie kserofilizatsii vysshikh rastenii [Comparativeecological study of xerophilization of higher plants]. Moscow–Leningrad, AN SSSR Publ., 1955.

30. Nikitin V.V. Life forms of flora of Turkmenistan. Botanicheskii zhurnal [Botanical Journal]. 1965. vol. 50, no. 1. pp. 44-49.

31. Takhtadzhyan A.L., Fedorov A.A. Flora Erevana [Flora of Yerevan]. Leningrad, Nauka Publ., 1972. 396 p.

32. Prima V.M. Some questions of the florogenesis of the Upper Alpine flora of the Eastern Caucasus. In: Flora Severnogo Kavkaza i voprosy ee istorii [Flora of the North Caucasus and questions of its history]. Stavropol, 1976. pp. 131-158.

33. Kamelin R.V. Florogeneticheskii analiz estestvennoi flory gornoi Srednei Azii [Florogenetic analysis of the natural flora of mountainous Central Asia]. Leningrad, 1973. 355 p.

34. Krasnov A.N. Experience in the history of flora development in the southern part of the eastern Tien Shan. In: Zapiski Russkogo geograficheskogo obshchestva [Notes of the Russian Geographical Society]. 1888. vol. 19. pp. 1-413.

35. Kuznetsov N.I. Mountainous Dagestan and its importance in the history of the flora of the Caucasus. Izvestiya Imperskogo Russkogo geograficheskogo obshchestva [Proceedings of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society]. 1910. Vol. 46, no. 6-7. pp. 213-260.

36. Sochava V.B. The newest vertical movements of the earth's crust and plant cover. Zemlevedenie. 1950. vol. 43, iss. 3. pp. 32-45.

37. Kolakovsky A.A. On the origin of the flora of Colchis in connection with the history of the Angara flora and the Mediterranean phytogeographical region. Soobshcheniya AN Gruzinskoi SSR [Communications of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR]. 1947. vol. VIII, no. 3. pp. 151-157.

38. Tolmachev A.I. The role of migration and autochthonous development in the formation of highland floras of the globe. Problemy botaniki [Problems of botany]. Moscow–Leningrad, AN SSSR Publ., 1960. iss. 5. pp. 18-31.

39. Abdurakhmanov G.M. Reasons for differences of composition of mountain entomofauna in the eastern and the western parts of the Big Caucasus. Doklady Akademii nauk SSSR [Reports of the USSR Academy of Sciences]. 1984, Vol. 274, no. 1, pp. 244–247. (In Russian).

40. Abdurakhmanov G.M. An attempt to reconstruct the history of the coleopteran fauna of the Greater Caucasus on the basis of its paleogeographical and geomorphological characteristics. Entomologicheskoe obozrenie Entomological Review]. 1985. vol. 54, iss. 4, 24 p.

41. Abdurakhmanov G.M. Vostochnyi Kavkaz glazami entomologa [East Caucasus through the eyes of an entomologist]. Makhachkala, DagknigoIzdat Publ., 1988. 136 p.

42. Golovach SI. Raspredelenie i faunogenez dvuparnonogikh mnogonozhek (Diplopoda) evropeiskoi chasti SSSR i Kavkaza. Avtoref. kand.diss. [Distribution and faunogenesis of two-legged centipedes (Diplopoda) of the European part of the USSR and the Caucasus. Author's abstract. Cand. Diss.]. Мoscow, Institute of Evolutionary Animal Morphology and Ecology Publ., 1982. 24 p.

43. Stolyarov M.V. Features of the genesis of the fauna of orthopterans (Orthoptera) of Transcaucasia. 1. Eastern Mediterranean elements. Entomologicheskoe obozrenie [Entomological Review]. 1990. vol. 69, iss. 1. pp. 48-60.

44. Stolyarov M.V. Features of the genesis of the fauna of orthopterans (Orthoptera) of Transcaucasia. 2. Northern elements. Entomologicheskoe obozrenie [Entomological Review]. 1991. vol. 70, iss. 3. pp. 524-536.

45. Nikolskaya M.N., Popov V.V. Hymenoptera. In: Zhivotnyi mir SSSR. T. 5. Gornye oblasti evropeiskoi chasti SSSR [Fauna of the USSR. Vol. 5. Mountainous areas of the European part of the USSR]. Moscow–Leningrad, 1958. pp. 318-351.

46. Effendi R.M. Vysshie cheshuekrylye Azerbaidzhana, ikh biologiya, ekologiya, zoogeografiya i khozyaistvennoe znachenie (bez semeistv Noctuide i Geometridae. Avtoref. dis. ... kand. biol. nauk [The highest lepidopterans of Azerbaijan, their biology, ecology, zoogeography and economic significance (without families Noctuide and Geometridae.) Author's abstract... Candidate of Biological Sciences]. Baku, 1971. 31 p.

47. Yablokov-Khnzoryan S.M. Opyt vosstanovleniya genezisa fauny zhestkokrylykh Armenii [Experience in restoring the genesis of the coleopteran fauna of Armenia]. Yerevan, Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR Publ., 1961. 248 p.

48. Yaroshenko P.D. To the history of the high mountain vegetation of the Caucasus. Izvestiya Armyanskogo filiala Akademii nauk SSSR [Proceedings of the Armenian branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences]. 1940. iss. 4-5, pp. 223-229.

49. Grossgeim A.A. Analiz flory Kavkaza [Analysis of the flora of the Caucasus]. Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan branch of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR Publ., 1936. 297 p.

50. Bidashko FG, Proskurin K.P. The natural situation of the lower reaches of the Ural River in the Middle Pleistocene according to entomological and botanical data. Paleontologicheskii zhurnal [Paleontological Journal]. 1984. no. 2. pp. 82-88.

51. Korzhinsky S.I. Essays on the vegetation of Turkestan. Zapiski Akademii Nauk [Notes of the Academy of Sciences]. 1896. vol. 8, no. 4. 38 p.

52. Kamelin R.V. Botanico-geographical features of the flora of the Soviet Kopetdag. Botanicheskii zhurnal [Botanical Journal]. 1970, vol. 55, no. 10. pp. 1451-1463. (In Russian)

53. Kamelin R.V. Florogeneticheskii analiz estestvennoi flory gornoi Srednei Azii [Florogenetic analysis of the natural flora of mountainous Central Asia]. Leningrad, 1973.

54. Takhtadzhyan A.L. Floristicheskie oblasti Zemli [Floristic regions of the Earth]. Leningrad, Nauka Publ., 1978. 248 p.

55. Korovin E.P. The genus Bunium L. and its Central Asian representatives. Byulleten' Sredneaziatskogo Universiteta [Bulletin of the Central Asian University]. Tashkent, 1927. iss. 15.

56. Korovin E.P. Experience of botany-geographic regionalization of Central Asia. Trudy Tashkentskogo Gosudarstvennogo Universiteta [Proceedings of Tashkent State University]. 1961, iss. 186.

57. Korovin E.P. Rastitel'nost' Srednei Azii i Yuzhnogo Kazakhstana [Vegetation of Central Asia and Southern Kazakhstan]. Tashkent, vol. 2, 1962.

58. Lavrenko E.M. Provincial division of the Central Asian and Iranian-Turan subregion of the Asian-Asian desert region. Botanicheskii zhurnal [Botanical Journal]. 1965, vol. 50, no. 1. pp. 3-15. (In Russian)

59. Schuster A. Monographie der Coleopterengattung Laena Latreille // Verhandlungen der ZoologischBotanischen Gesellschaft in Wien. 1916. Vol. 66. P. 495–629.

60. Medvedev G.S., Nepesova M.G. Opredelitel’ zhukovchernotelok Turkmenistana [Key to darkling beetles of Turkmenistan]. Ashkhabad, Ilım Publ., 1985, 180 p. (InRussian).

61. Abdurakhmanov G.M., Nabozhenko M.V. Opredelitel’ i katalog zhukov-chernotelok (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidaes. str.) Kavkaza i yuga evropeyskoy chasti Rossii [Keys and catalogue to darkling beetles (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidaes. str.) of the Caucasus and South of European part of Russia]. Moscow, KMK Scientific Press Ltd., 2011, 361 p. (In Russian).

62. Abdurakhmanov G.M., Nabozhenko M.V. On faunogenesis of tenebrionid beetles (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) of Middle Asia. South of Russia: ecology, development. 2016, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 170–177. (In Russian). DOI:10.18470/1992-1098-2016-2-170-177

63. Kryzhanovskii O.L., Atamuradov Kh.I. Review of the carabids fauna (Coleoptera, Carabidae) of Western KopetDag and its zoogeographical peculiarities. Contribution 1. Izvestiya Akademii nauk Turkmenskoi SSR. Seriya biologicheskikh nauk [Izvestiya of the Academy of Sciences of the Turkmen SSR. Series of Biological Sciences]. 1989, iss. 1. pp. 8-17 (In Russian).

64. Kryzhanovskii O.L., Atamuradov Kh.I. Review of the carabids fauna (Coleoptera, Carabidae) of Western KopetDag and its zoogeographical peculiarities. Contribution 2. Izvestiya Akademii nauk Turkmenskoi SSR. Seriya biologicheskikh nauk [Izvestiya of the Academy of Sciences of the Turkmen SSR. Series of Biological Sciences]. 1989. iss. 6. pp. 24-35 (In Russian).

65. Kryzhanovskii O.L. Sostav i rasprostranenie entomofaun zemnogo shara [Composition and distribution of the entomofauna of the globe]. Moscow, KMK Publ., 2002. 237 p.

66. Kuznetsov V.I. Cheshuekrylye fauny SSSR i sopredel'nykh stran [Lepidopteran fauna of the USSR and neighboring countries]. Leningrad, Nauka Publ., 1973. 285 p.

67. Abdurakhmanov G.M., Teimurov A.A., Abdurakhmanov A.G., Soltanmuradova Z.I., Guseinova S.A. To question about the age of the islands of Northern Caspian and their biota. South of Russia: ecology, development. 2012; vol. 7, no. 1. pp. 32-36. (In Russian) DOI:10.18470/1992-1098-2012-1-32-36

68. Abdurakhmanov G.M., Teimurov A.A., Abdurakhmanov A.G., Kurbanova N.S., Gadzhiev A.A., Melikova N.M., Alieva S.V., El'derkhanova Z.M., Magomedova Z.A., Mirzabekova M.R. Biologicheskoe raznoobrazie ostrovov kaspiiskogo morya (Novyi vzglyad na vozrast ostrovov i urovennyi rezhim morya) [Biological diversity of the islands of the Caspian Sea (A new look at the age of the islands and the level of sea level)]. Makhachkala, Eko-press Publ., 2012. 22 p.

69. Abdurahmanov G.M., Teymurov A.A. A remarkable feature of biodiversity of the coastal, marine and island ecosystems of the Caspian Sea. A new look at the age of islands and level mode. South of Russia: ecology, development. 2014, vol. 9, no. 3. pp. 7-24. (In Russian) DOI:10.18470/1992-1098-2014-3-7-24

70. Abdurakhmanov G.M, Teymurov A.A. Biologicheskoe raznoobrazie pribrezhnykh i ostrovnykh ekosistem Kaspiiskogo morya i novyi vzglyad na vozrast ostrovov i urovennyi rezhim morya [Biological diversity of coastal and island ecosystems of the Caspian Sea and a new look at the age of the islands and the sea level]. Materialy Mezhdunarodnoi nauchnoi konferentsii «Kaspiiskoe more: proshloe, nastoyashchee, budushchee», Makhachkala, 26-28 oktyabrya 2014 [Materials of the International Scientific Conference "The Caspian Sea: Past, Present, Future", Makhachkala, 26-28 October 2014]. Makhachkala, IAE RD Publ., 2014. pp. 5-23.