Four species of wild canids are documented as occurring in Vietnam: Dhole Cuon alpinus, Eurasian ... more Four species of wild canids are documented as occurring in Vietnam: Dhole Cuon alpinus, Eurasian Golden Jackal Canis aureus, Red Fox Vulpes vulpes and Raccoon Dog Nyctereutes procyonoides. Except for Dhole, all species are widely distributed globally and are listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Concerned by the paucity of recent records of these species from Vietnam, especially in the context of rapidly declining mammal populations in the country in general, we undertook a review of the status of these species in Vietnam. All traceable and potentially verifiable canid records from 01 January 2002 until 31 December 2018 were collated and reviewed. The Dhole, formerly the most widely distributed of all canid species in Vietnam, and Raccoon Dog, apparently formerly widely distributed in the northern part of the country, appear to have both declined; Dhole is now either extirpated, or close to extirpation, while Raccoon Dog is of uncertain status. The...
Because of their role in immune defense against pathogens, major histocompatibility complex (MHC)... more Because of their role in immune defense against pathogens, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes are useful in evolutionary studies on how wild vertebrates adapt to their environments. We investigated the molecular evolution of MHC class I (MHCI) genes in four closely related species of Eurasian badgers, genus Meles. All four species of badgers showed similarly high variation in MHCI sequences compared to other Carnivora. We identified 7-21 putatively functional MHCI sequences in each of the badger species, and 2-7 sequences per individual, indicating the existence of 1-4 loci. MHCI exon 2 and 3 sequences encoding domains α1 and α2 exhibited different clade topologies in phylogenetic networks. Non-synonymous nucleotide substitutions at codons for antigen-binding sites exceeded synonymous substitutions for domain α1 but not for domain α2, suggesting that the domains α1 and α2 likely had different evolutionary histories in these species. Positive selection and recombination see...
The means of orientation is studied in the Vietnamese pygmy dormouse Typhlomys chapensis, a poorl... more The means of orientation is studied in the Vietnamese pygmy dormouse Typhlomys chapensis, a poorly known enigmatic semi-fossorial semi-arboreal rodent. Data on eye structure are presented, which prove that Typhlomys (translated as "the blind mouse") is incapable of object vision - the retina is folded and retains no more than 2 500 ganglion cells in the focal plane, and the optic nerve is subject to gliosis. Hence, Typhlomys has no other means for rapid long-range orientation among tree branches other than echolocation. Ultrasonic vocalization recordings at the frequency range of 50-100 kHz support this hypothesis. The vocalizations are represented by bouts of up to 7 more or less evenly-spaced and uniform frequency-modulated sweep-like pulses in rapid succession. Structurally, these sweeps are similar to frequency-modulated ultrasonic echolocation calls of some bat species, but they are too faint to be revealed with a common bat detector. When recording video simultaneously with the ultrasonic audio, a significantly greater pulse rate during locomotion compared to that of resting animals has been demonstrated. Our findings of locomotion-associated ultrasonic vocalization in a fast-climbing but weakly-sighted small mammal ecotype add support to the "echolocation-first theory" of pre-flight origin of echolocation in bats. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Abstract Morphometric variation in 22 characters of 86 skulls of the European minkMustela lutreol... more Abstract Morphometric variation in 22 characters of 86 skulls of the European minkMustela lutreola (Linnaeus, 1761), from the NW part of Russia, has been analysed. Stepwise discriminant analysis was used to estimate craniometric variables for sex determinations. Two characters (zygomatic breadth and interorbital width) are enough for the 96.5% correct classification. The male skull ofM. lutreola is characterised by a relatively high neurocranium, widely arranged zygomatic arches, a wide rostrum, and by wider auditory ...
ABSTRACT The taxonomic status of Mustela itatsi Temminck, 1844 is discussed. The Japanese weasel ... more ABSTRACT The taxonomic status of Mustela itatsi Temminck, 1844 is discussed. The Japanese weasel was considered as a Mustela sibirica subspecies. Twenty-three measurements of skulls in Japanese and Siberian weasels from different habitats were analyzed. The discriminant analysis revealed a significant difference between these two forms. The difference is greater than that between different populations of the Siberian weasel from the whole Siberian territory and from the Far East. M. itatsi is distinguished from M. sibirica by its smaller and narrower skull. The morphotypic features of skull, size, coloration, and bacula, were also studied. The taxonomic status of M. itatsi as an independent species is confirmed by cytogenetic data.
ABSTRACT The similarity in the development of the tooth system (the absence of milk teeth generat... more ABSTRACT The similarity in the development of the tooth system (the absence of milk teeth generation) in Mydaus stink-badgers, and Mephitidae skunks is considered as a forcible argument for the inclusion of them to the family Mephitidae, but not to Mustelidae. The stink-badgers, which are distributed in South-East Asia (Java, Borneo, Sumatra islands and Palavan island in Phillipines) may be relics of Mephitidae, which were spread during the Miocene-Pliocene time in Eurasia. Presently, they occur only in the New World.
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 09397140 2007 10638222, Feb 28, 2013
ABSTRACT Widespread in the Caucasus until the mid-19th century, the Leopard, Panthera pardus, has... more ABSTRACT Widespread in the Caucasus until the mid-19th century, the Leopard, Panthera pardus, has become extinct in many areas of this region but is still able to survive in some others. We have compiled a database of 218 Leopard records dated 1861-2007 throughout the Caucasus (Russian North Caucasus, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia). Of these, 77 records of killing, 4 records of photo-captures (10 pictures), and 8 records of scat origin proof by faecal bile acid thin-layer chromatography were used as the most reliable indicators of the Leopard's presence. We discuss the history of the Leopard's postglacial emergence in the Caucasus, its habitats, scales of eradication, trends in Leopard extermination measures and range shrinkage within the study period, in separate sections under each of the four countries of the Caucasus. All recent and current Leopard records in the Caucasus are confined to central and eastern parts of the North Caucasus, south-eastern and north-eastern Georgia, south-eastern and western parts of Azerbaijan, and south-western and southern Armenia. All these parts of the range, except for the Talysh Mts in Azerbaijan, must be connected with southern Armenia which, in its turn, is linked with the much larger population in north-western Iran. The Talysh Mts stand isolated from the Caucasus Mountains and are directly linked with Iran.
The morphometric variation of 30 cranial characters in 468 specimens of Eurasian badgers from dif... more The morphometric variation of 30 cranial characters in 468 specimens of Eurasian badgers from different Palaearctic areas was analyzed. Multivariate analyses were carried out to examine the variation from the multidimensional standpoint. The results obtained support the previous idea of distinguishing the Eurasian badgers into three species: the European badger, Meles meles (Linnaeus 1758), the Asian badger, M. leucurus (Hodgson 1847), and the Japanese badger, M. anakuma Temminck 1844. All the studied populations of M. meles and M. leucurus were shown to contain two groups differed on the subspecific level. The analysis of craniometric variability in M. m. meles and of M. I. leucurus has revealed no geographical variation. A system of the genus Meles is provided with the European badger, M. meles. including four subspecies (meles, milleri, canescens, and arcalus), the Asian badger, M. leucurus (two subspecies, leucurus, amurensis), and the Japanese badger, M. anakuma.
Sex-biased dispersal is widespread among mammals, including the brown bear (Ursus arctos). Previo... more Sex-biased dispersal is widespread among mammals, including the brown bear (Ursus arctos). Previous phylogeographic studies of the brown bear based on maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA have shown intraspecific genetic structuring around the northern hemisphere. The brown bears on Hokkaido Island, northern Japan, comprise three distinct maternal lineages that presumably immigrated to the island from the continent in three different periods. Here, we investigate the paternal genetic structure across northeastern Asia and assess the connectivity among and within intraspecific populations in terms of male-mediated gene flow. We analyzed paternally inherited Y-chromosomal DNA sequence data and Y-linked microsatellite data of 124 brown bears from Hokkaido, the southern Kuril Islands (Kunashiri and Etorofu), Sakhalin, and continental Eurasia (Kamchatka Peninsula, Ural Mountains, European Russia, and Tibet). The Hokkaido brown bear population is paternally differentiated from, and lack...
(2017) The phylogeographic pattern of Maxomys surifer across most of its geographic range was inv... more (2017) The phylogeographic pattern of Maxomys surifer across most of its geographic range was investigated based on existing sequencing from GenBank and new original data from Vietnam to evaluate its natural subdivision and taxonomic structure in Indochina and neighboring regions. Seven major phylogenetic clusters/groups are apparent on the cytochrome b (Cyt b) and cytochrome с oxydase subunit 1 gene (COI) trees, corresponding to geographical subpopulations of the species. Among them, distinct position of most divergent, clade Msur7 is also supported by analyses of nuclear (IRBP) gene. The taxonomic implication of these findings is tested by comparison of morphological features of this Northern (labeled by Msur7) and Southern Vietnamese populations widely distributed over the Indochina labeled by Msur3 mtDNA genetic marker. Direct comparisons of skulls measurements and multivariate analyses performed for these southern and northern populations showed that latter specimens are distinctive in being significantly larger in a number of cranial characters, with diagnostically smaller teeth relative to M. surifer from southern Vietnam, bearing also some traits in its external appearance, like relative tail length and coloration pattern. The pattern of genetic and cranial variation in M. surifer revealed in the present study suggests the existence of distinct genetic lineages and suspected longitudinal isolation, corresponding to morphologically distinctive forms. It is evident that at least some of these lineages merit subspecific status. We provide a taxonomical description elevating the northern Vietnamese populations to a new subspecies M. s. tonkinensis subsp. nov. We discuss the taxonomic implications, tentative range, and appropriate synonyms for all main genetic lineages over the range of M. surifer in the Sundaic region.
A new species of marmoset rat, Hapalomys suntsovi, is described from Binh Phuoc Province, souther... more A new species of marmoset rat, Hapalomys suntsovi, is described from Binh Phuoc Province, southern Vietnam. The species seems to be endemic to Vietnam. It is diagnosed on the basis of cranial morphology, the diversity of COI gene sequences and karyotypic peculiarities. A comparison with the two currently recognised Hapalomys species is provided. This finding represents the southernmost record of marmoset rats in Vietnam.
Morphometric variation in 26 characters of 245 skulls of the marbled polecat (Vormela peregusna) ... more Morphometric variation in 26 characters of 245 skulls of the marbled polecat (Vormela peregusna) was studied across the distribution range. Morphological diversity was low with respect to both the size and the shape of the skull. The sexual size dimorphism of cranial characters in V. peregusna was low compared with other similar-sized mustelids. This finding may be a result of more specialized behaviour, resulting in less intra-specific competition with respect to habitat and food selection. Analysis of the geographic variation of skulls revealed two morphological groups – western and eastern. These groups were treated as distinct subspecies in this study. Nominotypical V. p. peregusna (Güldenstädt, 1770) (syn. sarmatica, euxina) is found in southern and eastern Europe, Asia Minor and Caucasus. The eastern subspecies V. p. koshewnikowi Satunin, 1910 (syn. alpherakii, chinensis, negans, obscura, ornata, pallidior, syriaca, and tedshenika) is found south and east of the Middle East, in Middle and Central Asia and eastward to China. Our data revealed a gradual decrease in the morphological diversity in Vormela skulls from west to east in the distribution range. This phenomenon may be explained by the later origin of the eastern subclusters of the marbled polecat. The pattern of geographic variation revealed in this study may reflect the Pleistocene history of the species range formation, rather than a relationship to climate conditions throughout the modern species range.
Four species of wild canids are documented as occurring in Vietnam: Dhole Cuon alpinus, Eurasian ... more Four species of wild canids are documented as occurring in Vietnam: Dhole Cuon alpinus, Eurasian Golden Jackal Canis aureus, Red Fox Vulpes vulpes and Raccoon Dog Nyctereutes procyonoides. Except for Dhole, all species are widely distributed globally and are listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Concerned by the paucity of recent records of these species from Vietnam, especially in the context of rapidly declining mammal populations in the country in general, we undertook a review of the status of these species in Vietnam. All traceable and potentially verifiable canid records from 01 January 2002 until 31 December 2018 were collated and reviewed. The Dhole, formerly the most widely distributed of all canid species in Vietnam, and Raccoon Dog, apparently formerly widely distributed in the northern part of the country, appear to have both declined; Dhole is now either extirpated, or close to extirpation, while Raccoon Dog is of uncertain status. The...
Because of their role in immune defense against pathogens, major histocompatibility complex (MHC)... more Because of their role in immune defense against pathogens, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes are useful in evolutionary studies on how wild vertebrates adapt to their environments. We investigated the molecular evolution of MHC class I (MHCI) genes in four closely related species of Eurasian badgers, genus Meles. All four species of badgers showed similarly high variation in MHCI sequences compared to other Carnivora. We identified 7-21 putatively functional MHCI sequences in each of the badger species, and 2-7 sequences per individual, indicating the existence of 1-4 loci. MHCI exon 2 and 3 sequences encoding domains α1 and α2 exhibited different clade topologies in phylogenetic networks. Non-synonymous nucleotide substitutions at codons for antigen-binding sites exceeded synonymous substitutions for domain α1 but not for domain α2, suggesting that the domains α1 and α2 likely had different evolutionary histories in these species. Positive selection and recombination see...
The means of orientation is studied in the Vietnamese pygmy dormouse Typhlomys chapensis, a poorl... more The means of orientation is studied in the Vietnamese pygmy dormouse Typhlomys chapensis, a poorly known enigmatic semi-fossorial semi-arboreal rodent. Data on eye structure are presented, which prove that Typhlomys (translated as "the blind mouse") is incapable of object vision - the retina is folded and retains no more than 2 500 ganglion cells in the focal plane, and the optic nerve is subject to gliosis. Hence, Typhlomys has no other means for rapid long-range orientation among tree branches other than echolocation. Ultrasonic vocalization recordings at the frequency range of 50-100 kHz support this hypothesis. The vocalizations are represented by bouts of up to 7 more or less evenly-spaced and uniform frequency-modulated sweep-like pulses in rapid succession. Structurally, these sweeps are similar to frequency-modulated ultrasonic echolocation calls of some bat species, but they are too faint to be revealed with a common bat detector. When recording video simultaneously with the ultrasonic audio, a significantly greater pulse rate during locomotion compared to that of resting animals has been demonstrated. Our findings of locomotion-associated ultrasonic vocalization in a fast-climbing but weakly-sighted small mammal ecotype add support to the "echolocation-first theory" of pre-flight origin of echolocation in bats. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Abstract Morphometric variation in 22 characters of 86 skulls of the European minkMustela lutreol... more Abstract Morphometric variation in 22 characters of 86 skulls of the European minkMustela lutreola (Linnaeus, 1761), from the NW part of Russia, has been analysed. Stepwise discriminant analysis was used to estimate craniometric variables for sex determinations. Two characters (zygomatic breadth and interorbital width) are enough for the 96.5% correct classification. The male skull ofM. lutreola is characterised by a relatively high neurocranium, widely arranged zygomatic arches, a wide rostrum, and by wider auditory ...
ABSTRACT The taxonomic status of Mustela itatsi Temminck, 1844 is discussed. The Japanese weasel ... more ABSTRACT The taxonomic status of Mustela itatsi Temminck, 1844 is discussed. The Japanese weasel was considered as a Mustela sibirica subspecies. Twenty-three measurements of skulls in Japanese and Siberian weasels from different habitats were analyzed. The discriminant analysis revealed a significant difference between these two forms. The difference is greater than that between different populations of the Siberian weasel from the whole Siberian territory and from the Far East. M. itatsi is distinguished from M. sibirica by its smaller and narrower skull. The morphotypic features of skull, size, coloration, and bacula, were also studied. The taxonomic status of M. itatsi as an independent species is confirmed by cytogenetic data.
ABSTRACT The similarity in the development of the tooth system (the absence of milk teeth generat... more ABSTRACT The similarity in the development of the tooth system (the absence of milk teeth generation) in Mydaus stink-badgers, and Mephitidae skunks is considered as a forcible argument for the inclusion of them to the family Mephitidae, but not to Mustelidae. The stink-badgers, which are distributed in South-East Asia (Java, Borneo, Sumatra islands and Palavan island in Phillipines) may be relics of Mephitidae, which were spread during the Miocene-Pliocene time in Eurasia. Presently, they occur only in the New World.
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 09397140 2007 10638222, Feb 28, 2013
ABSTRACT Widespread in the Caucasus until the mid-19th century, the Leopard, Panthera pardus, has... more ABSTRACT Widespread in the Caucasus until the mid-19th century, the Leopard, Panthera pardus, has become extinct in many areas of this region but is still able to survive in some others. We have compiled a database of 218 Leopard records dated 1861-2007 throughout the Caucasus (Russian North Caucasus, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia). Of these, 77 records of killing, 4 records of photo-captures (10 pictures), and 8 records of scat origin proof by faecal bile acid thin-layer chromatography were used as the most reliable indicators of the Leopard's presence. We discuss the history of the Leopard's postglacial emergence in the Caucasus, its habitats, scales of eradication, trends in Leopard extermination measures and range shrinkage within the study period, in separate sections under each of the four countries of the Caucasus. All recent and current Leopard records in the Caucasus are confined to central and eastern parts of the North Caucasus, south-eastern and north-eastern Georgia, south-eastern and western parts of Azerbaijan, and south-western and southern Armenia. All these parts of the range, except for the Talysh Mts in Azerbaijan, must be connected with southern Armenia which, in its turn, is linked with the much larger population in north-western Iran. The Talysh Mts stand isolated from the Caucasus Mountains and are directly linked with Iran.
The morphometric variation of 30 cranial characters in 468 specimens of Eurasian badgers from dif... more The morphometric variation of 30 cranial characters in 468 specimens of Eurasian badgers from different Palaearctic areas was analyzed. Multivariate analyses were carried out to examine the variation from the multidimensional standpoint. The results obtained support the previous idea of distinguishing the Eurasian badgers into three species: the European badger, Meles meles (Linnaeus 1758), the Asian badger, M. leucurus (Hodgson 1847), and the Japanese badger, M. anakuma Temminck 1844. All the studied populations of M. meles and M. leucurus were shown to contain two groups differed on the subspecific level. The analysis of craniometric variability in M. m. meles and of M. I. leucurus has revealed no geographical variation. A system of the genus Meles is provided with the European badger, M. meles. including four subspecies (meles, milleri, canescens, and arcalus), the Asian badger, M. leucurus (two subspecies, leucurus, amurensis), and the Japanese badger, M. anakuma.
Sex-biased dispersal is widespread among mammals, including the brown bear (Ursus arctos). Previo... more Sex-biased dispersal is widespread among mammals, including the brown bear (Ursus arctos). Previous phylogeographic studies of the brown bear based on maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA have shown intraspecific genetic structuring around the northern hemisphere. The brown bears on Hokkaido Island, northern Japan, comprise three distinct maternal lineages that presumably immigrated to the island from the continent in three different periods. Here, we investigate the paternal genetic structure across northeastern Asia and assess the connectivity among and within intraspecific populations in terms of male-mediated gene flow. We analyzed paternally inherited Y-chromosomal DNA sequence data and Y-linked microsatellite data of 124 brown bears from Hokkaido, the southern Kuril Islands (Kunashiri and Etorofu), Sakhalin, and continental Eurasia (Kamchatka Peninsula, Ural Mountains, European Russia, and Tibet). The Hokkaido brown bear population is paternally differentiated from, and lack...
(2017) The phylogeographic pattern of Maxomys surifer across most of its geographic range was inv... more (2017) The phylogeographic pattern of Maxomys surifer across most of its geographic range was investigated based on existing sequencing from GenBank and new original data from Vietnam to evaluate its natural subdivision and taxonomic structure in Indochina and neighboring regions. Seven major phylogenetic clusters/groups are apparent on the cytochrome b (Cyt b) and cytochrome с oxydase subunit 1 gene (COI) trees, corresponding to geographical subpopulations of the species. Among them, distinct position of most divergent, clade Msur7 is also supported by analyses of nuclear (IRBP) gene. The taxonomic implication of these findings is tested by comparison of morphological features of this Northern (labeled by Msur7) and Southern Vietnamese populations widely distributed over the Indochina labeled by Msur3 mtDNA genetic marker. Direct comparisons of skulls measurements and multivariate analyses performed for these southern and northern populations showed that latter specimens are distinctive in being significantly larger in a number of cranial characters, with diagnostically smaller teeth relative to M. surifer from southern Vietnam, bearing also some traits in its external appearance, like relative tail length and coloration pattern. The pattern of genetic and cranial variation in M. surifer revealed in the present study suggests the existence of distinct genetic lineages and suspected longitudinal isolation, corresponding to morphologically distinctive forms. It is evident that at least some of these lineages merit subspecific status. We provide a taxonomical description elevating the northern Vietnamese populations to a new subspecies M. s. tonkinensis subsp. nov. We discuss the taxonomic implications, tentative range, and appropriate synonyms for all main genetic lineages over the range of M. surifer in the Sundaic region.
A new species of marmoset rat, Hapalomys suntsovi, is described from Binh Phuoc Province, souther... more A new species of marmoset rat, Hapalomys suntsovi, is described from Binh Phuoc Province, southern Vietnam. The species seems to be endemic to Vietnam. It is diagnosed on the basis of cranial morphology, the diversity of COI gene sequences and karyotypic peculiarities. A comparison with the two currently recognised Hapalomys species is provided. This finding represents the southernmost record of marmoset rats in Vietnam.
Morphometric variation in 26 characters of 245 skulls of the marbled polecat (Vormela peregusna) ... more Morphometric variation in 26 characters of 245 skulls of the marbled polecat (Vormela peregusna) was studied across the distribution range. Morphological diversity was low with respect to both the size and the shape of the skull. The sexual size dimorphism of cranial characters in V. peregusna was low compared with other similar-sized mustelids. This finding may be a result of more specialized behaviour, resulting in less intra-specific competition with respect to habitat and food selection. Analysis of the geographic variation of skulls revealed two morphological groups – western and eastern. These groups were treated as distinct subspecies in this study. Nominotypical V. p. peregusna (Güldenstädt, 1770) (syn. sarmatica, euxina) is found in southern and eastern Europe, Asia Minor and Caucasus. The eastern subspecies V. p. koshewnikowi Satunin, 1910 (syn. alpherakii, chinensis, negans, obscura, ornata, pallidior, syriaca, and tedshenika) is found south and east of the Middle East, in Middle and Central Asia and eastward to China. Our data revealed a gradual decrease in the morphological diversity in Vormela skulls from west to east in the distribution range. This phenomenon may be explained by the later origin of the eastern subclusters of the marbled polecat. The pattern of geographic variation revealed in this study may reflect the Pleistocene history of the species range formation, rather than a relationship to climate conditions throughout the modern species range.
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Papers by Alexei Abramov