DNA Barcoding in Georgia

A key element to the first projects is DNA barcoding – future projects will build on this infrastructure.

Georgia_River_Kintrishi_Old_Bridge

Kintrishi Project

Within the framework of GGBC, the Kintrishi project is a first pilot project launched by the ISU-ZFMK collaborative team in April 2018.

Forestry

The country of Georgia is famous for its biodiversity. According to IUCN, Georgia is listed number two of the world’s 34 “biodiversity hotspots” and hosts many endemic species.

glacial refugia Georgia

Glacial Refugia

The Western Caucasus is an area where important glacial refugia were located. The “Colchis refugium” has been identified already by botanists of the early XX century.

Karte Tur Project Georgien

Tur Project

The Caucasian Turs are split into two species, the Western Tur (Capra caucasica) and the Eastern Tur (Capra cylindricornis) based on morphological characters, especially horn shape.

Tur horns

Tur Project – Cranial morphometry

Caucasian tur are large-bodied wild goats exclusively occurring in the Greater Caucasus mountains. Traditionally, these animals are grouped as two parapatric species, C. caucasica in the West and C. cylindricornis in the East.

snail (Helix buchii)

Mollusc Project

In 2017, a team at Ilia State University launched the project “Biodiversity of freshwater molluscs of Georgia” supported by Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation.