Genetic Differentiation of the Daurian Ground Squirrel Spermophilus dauricus Brandt, 1843 according to Variability of the Mitochondrial DNA Control Region

Abstract

Nucleotide sequences of the mtDNA control region were studied in 64 Daurian ground squirrels of the Spermophilus dauricus dauricus subspecies from 20 localities from the territory of Mongolia and Transbaikalia of the Russian Federation. A large number of slightly different haplotypes were detected. It was found that genetic polymorphism is not associated with geographical variability. It seems that the Kherlen River is not an ecological and geographical barrier for Daurian ground squirrels, while an exchange between Mongolian and Chinese populations probably occurs within the southwest end of the Greater Khingan Range. By comparative analysis of a number of molecular genetic markers, it was found that the mitochondrial genome numbered KR534854 (GenBank NCBI) belongs not to S. dauricus, but to one of the members of the Sciurus genus.