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Phylogeography of sable (Martes zibellina L. 1758) in the southeast portion of its range based on mitochondrial DNA variation: highlighting the evolutionary history of the sable

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Abstract

To reveal phylogeographic features of sable (Martes zibellina) in the southeast part of its range, we analyzed variability of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cytochrome b gene, tRNA (Pro), tRNA (Thr) and control region (D-loop) sequences from 78 specimens in populations of the Russian Far East, northeast China, and Mongolia. Our results revealed the presence of 49 different haplotypes split into two major phylogenetic groups—clades A and B, the latter separated into two clades, B1 and B2. Comparative analysis of D-loop haplotypes in populations originating from the southeast (Russian Far East, China and Mongolia) and the west (northern Urals) portions of sable range indicated that all three mtDNA clades were present in different regional groups. However, highest diversity of clade B1 in northeast China and its nearly complete absence from the Urals suggest that the southeast sable range, being a refuge during Pleistocene glacial periods, can be considered the center of genetic diversification and possibly origin of this species. All divergence estimates fall within the Pleistocene suggesting that Quarternary glaciations played an important role in phylogeographic differentiation of sable.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Wildlife Conservation and Nature Reserve Construction Project of the State Forestry Administration of China. We are grateful to the following persons for providing tissue samples: Prof. Wei Zhang, Yanchun Xu, and Guangcai Sun at the College of Wildlife Resources, Northeast Forestry University; Dr. A.I. Antonov, Seniour Research Fellow at Khingan State Nature Reserve, Russia. The authors' thanks also go to N.S. Kashina (North-East Interdisciplinary Science Research Institute, Magadan, Russia) for figure preparation, as well as to Boyang Wang for assistance in experimental work. We also thank Thomas D. Dahmer for editing earlier versions of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Northeast Forestry University, College of Wildlife Resources, Harbin, 150040, China

    Bo Li, Zhipeng Ma, Jiangpeng Zhao & Xiaoli Zhou

  2. State Forestry Administration Detecting Center of Wildlife Resources, Harbin, 150040, China

    Bo Li

  3. Institute of Biological Problems of the North, Far-East Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Magadan, 685000, Russia

    Boris Malyarchuk & Miroslava Derenko

  4. Dachengshan Park, Tangshan, 063000, China

    Zhipeng Ma

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  1. Bo Li
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  2. Boris Malyarchuk
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  6. Xiaoli Zhou
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Correspondence to Bo Li.

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Communicated by: Allan McDevitt

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Li, B., Malyarchuk, B., Ma, Z. et al. Phylogeography of sable (Martes zibellina L. 1758) in the southeast portion of its range based on mitochondrial DNA variation: highlighting the evolutionary history of the sable. Acta Theriol 58, 139–148 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-012-0100-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-012-0100-2

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