Contents:
New subspecies of the common long-eared bat Plecotus auritus (Vespertilionidae: Chiroptera) from the Caucasus
Kruskop S.V., Zhukova S.S.
P. 1-8
Comparison of the mtDNA sequences and skull measurements indicates the presence of a specific form of Plecotus auritus in the Caucasian part of the species range, which we describe here as a separate subspecies P. a. ponticus subsp. nov. It differs from other long-eared bats from European Russia by having smaller mean values for 13 of 27 measured cranial characters and approximately 4.9% differences in the cytb mitochondrial gene sequence. The described subspecies inhabits the forests of the Caucasus region, as well as, apparently, the northeast of Turkey, and possibly the Rostov region and Crimea. The possibility of identifying other subspecific forms within this wide-range species and the need to study this issue are discussed.Download PDF
| Finding of a ringed common noctule Nyctalus noctula (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in the eastern Ukraine
Smirnov D.G., Bykov Y.A.
P. 9-11
The data of a young female Nyctalus noctula found dead in Kharkov and marked in the Vladimir Region are presented. The direction of seasonal migration and reasons for the animal mortality of are discussed.Download PDF
| New records on the distribution of the Kamchatka shrew (Sorex camtschaticus Yudin, 1972) in North-East Asia
Dokuchaev N.E.
P. 12-16
The northeastern limits of the Kamchatka shrew distribution were found to extend much further and include the northeastern territories of the Koryak upland. The new capture points indicate a shift in the range of the species to the east by 500 km from the previously known ones. A distance of only 130 km separates the nearest catching sites of the Kamchatka and Portenko’s shrews.Download PDF
| The complete mitochondrial genomes of the Ethiopian endemic shrew Crocidura yaldeni s.l. (Mammalia: Soricidae)
Zemlemerova E.D., Komarova V.A., Bryja J., Lavrenchenko L.A.
P. 17-21
Complete mitochondrial genomes of the Ethiopian endemic shrew Crocidura yaldeni s.l. were assembled for the first time. We provide data concerning the sequencing, assembly, and annotation of the obtained mitochondrial genomes. The phylogenetic analysis revealed the existence of several lineages within C. yaldeni s.l. that was consistent with the previous studies based on mitochondrial gene cytochrome b. These data provide a basis for further studies on phylogeny and mechanisms of the presumable mitochondrial DNA introgression of this group.Download PDF
| Species identification in pikas Ochotona (Lagomorpha: Ochotonidae), on the basis of variation in occlusal surface of the third lower premolar
Lissovsky A.A., Obolenskaya E.V., Ge D.-Y.
P. 22-31
Variation in the occlusal morphology of the third lower premolar tooth is examined in a sample of 369 adult pikas of all recent species. It is shown that, despite a high degree of intraspecific variation, the shape of the p3 enamel loops reflects the phylogenetic relationships of pika species. While differences between most species pairs require a special multivariate analysis, differences between pika subgenera can be verbalised and recognised visually. For the first time, dental characters have been described that allow a reliable distinction of the members of the subgenus Alienauroa.Download PDF
| Incisor and mandible anomalies in the Harting’s vole Microtus hartingi (Mammalia: Arvicolinae) in Europe
Zorenko T., Basov A., Kaija L.P., Mitkovska V.
P. 32-36
We observed incisor and mandibular anomalies in two populations of Harting’s vole from Strandzha foothills and the Eastern Rhodopes. In the laboratory colony of voles originating from the Rhodope foothills, over six years, incisor pathology persisted at a constant rate of 15%. In the colony of voles from Strandzha foothills, maintained at the University of Latvia (Riga) and Zoological Institute (Saint Petersburg) from 1988 to 2000, not a single case of incisor overgrowth was observed. However, M. h. strandzensis, caught in the same biotopes in early 2000’s, were examined for abnormal growth of the maxillary incisors and mandibular deformation. The new data on changes in the ecology of Harting’s vole over the last three decades are presented.Download PDF
| Status and distribution of Paraguayan Sciuridae (Rodentia) and Leporidae (Lagomorpha)
Smith P.
P. 37-48
Two species of Sciuridae (Hadrosciurus ignitus and H. spadiceus) and two species of Leporidae (one native Sylvilagus cf. brasiliensis and one exotic Lepus europaeus) are known to occur in Paraguay. However, their distribution is poorly understood, and no compilation of the knowledge of these families in Paraguay exists. This paper reviews the available specimens and literature, provides distribution maps and corrects existing errors of misunderstanding with a view towards promoting their future study in the country.Download PDF
| Altruism and cooperation in rodents: Insights from analysis of conceptual models and empirical data
Gromov V.S.
P. 49-64
Conceptual models explaining the evolution of altruistic and cooperative behavior, as well as empirical evidence from rodents are reviewed in this article. Alarm calling and helping (alloparental care) are well-known altruistic behaviors in rodents. In behavioral ecology, alloparental care is considered reproductive altruism, which is costly to the actor and benefits the recipient. The evolution of helping is thought to be predicted from the theory of kin selection. Among rodents, however, helping is unlikely to evolve simply through kin selection. A more appropriate explanation is that helping is a by-product of the evolution of sociality (i.e., the transition to a family-group lifestyle). The same applies to the evolution of different cooperative behaviors, most typical of the species living in family groups. Kin selection does not explain the evolution of cooperative behaviors between unrelated individuals, especially in breeding pairs that form family groups. An alternative idea for the evolution of altruistic and cooperative behaviors in rodents is proposed.Download PDF
| The first record of Amphimachairodus horribilis from the Late Miocene of Mongolia
Sotnikova M.V., Sizov A.V.
P. 65-79
Mandibular fragments of a large-sized sabre-toothed cat from the Late Miocene (MN12/MN13) of the locality Khyargas Nuur 2 (=Khirgis-Nur-2) in northwestern Mongolia are described. They are included in the hypodigm of the species Amphimachairodus horribilis, a common member of the Late Turolian (Late Baodean) fauna of Central Asia and China. The attribution to this species is based on the large size of the cheek teeth, the presence of slight serrations along their cristids, and the morphology of the metaconid-talonid complex on m1, with a slender, cutting, ventrally rounded, and well-differentiated metaconid, as seen in the lectotype of A. horribilis. Comparative analysis of the Mongolian remains and the morphologically close Amphimachairodus irtyshensis, from the nearby locality of Pavlodar (MN12) in Kazakhstan, suggested that the latter taxon is an independent, relatively more primitive species, rather than a synonym of more advanced A. horribilis. This is the first report of A. horribilis from Mongolia and, so far, the northernmost occurrence of this species in Eurasia. This work also reconsiders the phylogeny of Eurasian representatives of Amphimachairodus.Download PDF
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