Isolation Time and Craniometric Differences between Edible Dormouse (Glis glis L., Gliridae, Rodentia) Populations Inhabiting the Greater Caucasus and the Hyrcanian Forest in Southern Azerbaijan

A comparative analysis of four isolated edible dormouse populations inhabiting the Greater Caucasus (Western Caucasus, Eastern Caucasus, and Transcaucasia) and the Lankaran district in southern Azerbaijan was made on the basis of 15 morphometric skull characters. The craniometric differences between...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biology bulletin of the Russian Academy of Sciences 2022-12, Vol.49 (8), p.1197-1209
Main Authors: Popova, Yu. V., Potapova, E. G., Grigoryeva, O. O., Stakheev, V. V., Sycheva, V. B., Orlov, V. N.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biochemistry
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Cell Biology
Comparative analysis
Cytochrome b
Divergence
Ecology
Haplotypes
Life Sciences
Maxilla
Myoxidae
Pleistocene
Pliocene
Skull
Statistical analysis
White people
Zoology
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Summary:A comparative analysis of four isolated edible dormouse populations inhabiting the Greater Caucasus (Western Caucasus, Eastern Caucasus, and Transcaucasia) and the Lankaran district in southern Azerbaijan was made on the basis of 15 morphometric skull characters. The craniometric differences between the Lankaran population and the three Greater Caucasus populations significantly exceed the morphometric variations between individual Caucasian populations and correlate with the divergence time of these groups. Edible dormice from the Lankaran population are distinguished by a shorter bulla tympani , narrower interorbital septum, longer maxillary tooth row, narrower neurocranium, and distinct structures and relative widths of the hind parts of the nasal and premaxillary bones ( ossa nasalia and processus frontalis ossis praemaxillaris , respectively). These differences are statistically significant and can be used to diagnose edible dormice belonging to this group. The obtained data support the hypothesis that Glis persicus (Erxleben 1777) is an independent species. The morphological differences between the Caucasian edible dormouse populations are much less pronounced, but still statistically significant. Edible dormice inhabiting the southern macroslope of the Caucasus Ridge (Transcaucasia) differ significantly from both groups inhabiting the northern macroslope in the linear skull dimensions. Compared to the two other Caucasian edible dormouse populations, the Western Caucasus sample features a shorter bulla tympani relative to CBL and a shorter maxillary tooth row. The Eastern Caucasus and Transcaucasian samples differ to the greatest extent in the entire set of morphometric characters. The Western Caucasus population occupies an intermediate position. Paleogeographical data indicate that edible dormouse populations inhabiting the broad-leaved Hyrcanian Forest in Iran and southern Azerbaijan could not have become isolated before the Piacenzian stage of the Late Pliocene (i.e., 3.6 to 2.6 million years ago). This date is close to the minimum TMRCA (time to the most recent common ancestor) of modern edible dormice computed based on molecular evidence. The most recent edible dormouse colonization wave came to the Greater Caucasus from Europe; this is how individuals featuring cytochrome b ( cytb ) haplotypes of the young (so-called European) lineage invaded the region. The low haplotypic variability of this gene across the wide range of populations of the Eu
ISSN:1062-3590
1608-3059
DOI:10.1134/S1062359022080167