The genetic variety of seven geographic populations of sable has been studied; its distribution area stretches from the Urals to the Far East. It was shown using the panel of eight nuclear microsatellite markers that the sable populations from different geographical regions retain their individual genetic characteristics, despite the influence of anthropogenous factors (overhunting and introduction). There is a significant genetic similarity between the three populations of Central Siberia (Reynolds distances are 0.170-0.200) due to the influence of natural migrations that weaken genetic differentiation, while genetic difference is maximum (0.361) between populations located at the edges of the sable' habitat. The population of the Kamchatka Peninsula is isolated and exists as an independent phylogenetic group. An analysis of the topology of the phylogenetic tree suggests that the populations of Kamchatka and the Sikhote-Alin are closest to the ancestral form. Despite the existence of interspecific hybrids of sable and marten, the level of interspecific genetic differentiation between them is maximal.

Исследована генетическая структура семи природных популяций соболя с помощью оригинальной панели из десяти микросателлитных локусов. Популяции были выбраны на основании исторических данных по флуктуациям численности соболей за последние 300 лет, а также данных о влиянии естественных и искусственных миграций на сопредельные популяции. Показано, что по большинству локусов популяции находятся в состоянии генетического равновесия. Между тремя выборками популяций Центральной Сибири генетические различия незначительны, значения индекса подразделенности невысоки, в то время как популяции, приуроченные к краям ареала вида, характеризуются максимальными значениями индекса подразделенности. Впервые показано, что популяции из разных географических регионов соболя сохраняют свои индивидуальные характеристики, несмотря на влияние естественных и искусственных миграций. Проведенные исследования, с применением ядерных маркеров, позволили получить представление о генетической структуре вида в целом.

Analysis of alleles frequencies of 9 microsatellite loci of nuclear DNA of sables and pine martens revealed that this species from allopatric parts of species range highly significantly distinguish but in the sympatric zone in the Northern Urals interspecific hybridization is common. Sable and pine marten populations in sympatric zone keep their genetic isolation, but phenotypes of individuals not always correlate with their species (or hybrid) belonging, defined by genetic method.

The genetic variety of seven geographic populations of sable has been studied; its distribution area stretches from the Urals to the Far East. It was shown using the panel of eight nuclear microsatellite markers that the sable populations from different geographical regions retain their individual genetic characteristics, despite the influence of anthropogenous factors (overhunting and introduction). There is a significant genetic similarity between the three populations of Central Siberia (Reynolds distances are 0.170–0.200) due to the influence of natural migrations that weaken genetic differentiation, while genetic difference is maximum (0.361) between populations located at the edges of the sable’ habitat. The population of the Kamchatka Peninsula is isolated and exists as an independent phylogenetic group. An analysis of the topology of the phylogenetic tree suggests that the populations of Kamchatka and the Sikhote-Alin are closest to the ancestral form. Despite the existence of interspecific hybrids of sable and marten, the level of interspecific genetic differentiation between them is maximal.

The genetic structure of seven natural sable populations was investigated with the use of the original panel of 10 microsatellite loci. The populations were selected on the basis of the historical data on sable numbers fluctuations for the last 300 years, as well as on data on natural and artificial migrations affecting neighboring populations. We have demonstrated that the populations are in a state of genetic equilibrium for the majority of the loci. The genetic differences between three samples from Central Siberia populations were insignificant, and the fixation index values were relatively low. At the same time, populations from the margins of the species habitation areal were characterized by the highest fixation index values. We have shown for the first time that populations from different regions of the sable habitation areal maintain their specific features despite the influence of natural and artificial migrations. The current study, performed with nuclear genetic markers, made it possible to get insight into the genetic structure of the analyzed species as a whole.

We examined the nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 gene (976 base pairs) for 279 individuals of the sable Martes zibellina (Carnivora, Mustelidae), derived from diverse areas throughout the regions of the Ural Mountains to the Russian Far East on the Eurasian continent and the peripheral peninsula (Kamchatka) and islands (Sakhalin, Hokkaido, and southern Kurils). The demographic history of the sable and its migration history to the eastern peripheral peninsula and islands were inferred using phylogeographic approaches. The analyses confirmed the previously found major lineages for the examined sables and further identified novel sublineages. Our data also support that a lineage, which is endemic to the eastern marginal islands (Sakhalin, Hokkaido, and southern Kurils), was produced by the demographic expansion of an ancestral lineage in the Eurasian continent. The most recent common ancestor of the Sakhalin, Hokkaido, and southern Kuril sables was estimated to exist during the Late Pleistocene. We also determined that another lineage exists on Sakhalin and is shared by the Far East Primorsky population. Our results indicate multiple migration events onto Sakhalin from the continent and suggest the importance of the formation of several straits to the distribution of sable lineages. Meanwhile, Kamchatka is dominated by a sole lineage which would also have followed the demographic expansion on the Eurasian continent. The Russian Far East was indicated as the source area for lineage diversifications; in this region, genetic diversity was relatively high, which is consistent with previous studies.

The phylogeography of the sable, which is a commercially valuable species, is extremely complicated and poorly investigated. Specifically, the effects of factors such as the range dynamics of the sable during the Pleistocene Epoch, the localization of glacial refugia, species distribution pattern in Holocene, and recent dramatic population decline, along with massive reacclimatization measures, on the species phylogeography remain unclear. Based on the sequence analysis of the control region of mitochondrial DNA from sables that inhabit different parts of the species range, a suggestion was made of the considerably high Pleistocene genetic diversity in sable, which was subsequently lost. The initial diversity of mitochondrial lineages is mostly preserved in the Urals, while in the eastern part of the range, it seems to have been depleted as early as before the last glacial maximum. On the other hand, the even greater depletion of the mitochondrial lineages observed in some populations of central Siberia can be associated with the dramatic population decline at the turn of the 20th century.

Analysis of allele frequencies of nine nuclear DNA microsatellite loci in the sable (Martes zibellina) and pine marten (M. martes) demonstrated that these species from allopatric parts of the area differ with a high degree of significance, while hybridization regularly occurs between them in the sympatry zone in the Northern Urals. In total, populations of the sable and pine marten maintain genetic isolation in the sympatry area; however, individual phenotypes do not always correlate with their specific (or hybrid) belonging, which is determined by a genetic method.

volume Administrative secretariat Alpha Visa Congrès / ECM 2011 624, rue des grèzes 34070 Montpellier FRANCE Tel.: +33 (0)4 67 03 03 00 Fax: +33 (0)4 67 45 57 97 ecm2011@alphavisa.com www.alphavisa.com/ecm2011 Edited by C. Denys & Scientific committee Formatted by A. Evin Scientific Committee Giovanni Amori Jean-Louis Chapuis Rainer Hutterer Patrick Giraudoux Henki Henttonen Boris Krasnov Boris Krystufek Sandro Lovari Johan Michaux Javier Palomo

Analysis of nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region (495 bp) of sables (Martes zibellina) and pine martens (M. martes) from allopatric parts of the species ranges has shown a considerable interspecific genetic distance (>3%). In sympatric populations of these species in the northern Urals, differences between two species-specific mtDNA lineages are still large; however, classification of each individual nucleotide sequence with one of the two lineages is not correlated with whether the given animal is phenotypically a sable, a pine marten, or a potential hybrid (the so-called “kidas”). This indicates a high degree of reciprocal introgression of the sable and pine marten mtDNA in the northern Urals and suggests that their interspecific hybridization is common in the sympatric zone.