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 European lineage indicates that the Caucasus could not have been colonized before the Upper Pleistocene. The maximum divergence time does not exceed 0.13 million years for all edible dormouse populations inhabiting the Caucasus.

Using one of the methods of geometric morphometry, we have shown significant differences in the shape of the upper molars of the edible dormouse, Glis glis L., of Eastern Europe and the Caucasus. The similarity of these long-isolated populations in the mitochondrial cytb gene has also been shown. We assume that changes in morphological structures are more rapid than random cytb gene changes due to the ecological characteristics of the species.

In parthenogenetic hybrid Darevskia armeniaca species, the development of early oogenesis and early meiosis were analyzed. It has been shown for the first time that the number of synаptonemal complexes (SCs) of bivalents during the stages of early pachуtena–diplotena of the meiotic prophase 1 is constantly equal to the haploid number, 19. The SC karyotype is presented. The results of comparative molecular–cytogenetic (C/CMA 3 /DAPI) analysis of the mitotic chromosomes (2 n = 38: 34A + 2m + Zw-sex chromosomes) of parthenogenetic females and of the meiotic Zw - sex chromosomes ( n = 19 bivalents) of a male D. armeniaca specimen with sex inversion have been presented. Finally, the results obtained demonstrate the absence of premeiotic endoreplication of chromosomes, standard early stages of meiosis, and the formation of the haploid number of SC-bivalents ( n = 19) of homeological chromosomes in D. armeniaca .

Впервые проведён анализ формы нижней челюсти полувидов обыкновенной полевки из гибридной зоны с помощью методов геометрической морфометрии. Обнаружена высокая морфологическая изменчивость гибридных особей, которые оказались ближе к родительской форме Microtus obscurus , чем к M. arvalis . Выявлены основные тенденции изменения формы нижней челюсти, которые проявляются преимущественно в горизонтальной плоскости.

The mandible shape of the common vole semi-species from the hybrid zone was studied for the first time using the methods of geometric morphometry. The hybrid specimens were found to display high morphological variability being closer to the parental Microtus obscurus than to M. arvalis form. The main trends of changes in the mandible shape were primarily observed in the horizontal plane.

The skulls of shrews of genus Sorex from eight samplings from the European part of Russia and two from the vicinity of Novosibirsk were compared. The characteristics were identified using 22 marks on the axial skull. It was found that the centroid size differs significantly in the common and Laxmann's shrews S. caecutiens and the pygmy shrew S. minutus, while for selected marks, the common and Laxmann's, as well as pygmy, shrews were significantly different in form, but the differences were very small between Laxmann's and pygmy shrews. The characteristic features of the biology of the shrews Sorex are discussed, which may contribute to understanding the general laws of the morphological evolution of the genus.

The contact points of four karyotypic races (St. Petersburg, Moscow, Seliger and West Dvina) of the common shrew Sorex araneus L. were studied at the Valdai Hills (European Russia) in an area unimpeded by geographic barriers. The populations of the races are separated by narrow hybrid zones that represent the most complex heterozygous hybrid karyotypes. At these points of contact, the morphometric differentiation of karyotype races was examined in 12 cranial measurements in 190 shrews of a known karyotype. A. comparison of the mean values in studied samples of immature shrews revealed statistically significant differences and the correlation of some measurements in order to describe the level of musculus temporalis. It has been proposed that morphometric differences in the karyotypic races were preserved and accumulated because of a 50% reduction of the frequencies of hybrids. The deviation from the Hardy-Weinberg ration in the frequencies of the genotype and haploid sets of chromosomes in the hybrid zones can be attributed to a number of fatalities of hybrid embryos or the nonrandom mating of karyotypic races. The ethological isolation might arise in the evolution of some karyotypic races from the reduced fitness of the hybrids.

The contact points of four karyotypic races (St. Petersburg, Moscow, Seliger and West Dvina) of the common shrew Sorex araneus L. were studied at the Valdai Hills (European Russia) in an area unimpeded by geographic barriers. The populations of the races are separated by narrow hybrid zones that represent the most complex heterozygous hybrid karyotypes. At these points of contact, the morphometric differentiation of karyotype races was examined in 12 cranial measurements in 190 shrews of a known karyotype. A comparison of the mean values in studied samples of immature shrews revealed statistically significant differences and the correlation of some measurements which describe the level of musculus temporalis. It has been proposed that morphometric differences in the karyotypic races were preserved and accumulated because of a 50% reduction of the frequencies of hybrids. The deviation from the Hardy-Weinberg ration in the frequencies of the genotype and haploid sets of chromosomes in the hybrid zones can be attributed to a number of fatalities of hybrid embryos or the nonrandom mating of karyotypic races. The ethological isolation might arise in the evolution of some karyotypic races from the reduced fitness of the hybrids.

The contact zone between Moscow and Western Dvina chromosomal races of common shrew Sorex araneus L. at the south of the Valdai Hights was traced over a distance of 20 km. Within this, close to parapatric, contact zone of chromosomal races the width of sympatry zone was about 500 m (the narrowest among currently known hybrid zones), and the proportion of hybrids was 24.3%. It was shown that in bimodal hybrid zones between chromosomal races of common shrew the width of sympatry zones varied from 0.5 to 13 km. This width does not correlate with the cytogenetic features of the hybrids, and seems to be determined by competitive relations between the races. The hybrid proportion is determined by the type of hybrid heterozygosity, and decreased in the race sympatry zone from 33–40 to 21.5–25.2%. The decrease of the hybrid proportion can be associated with the abnormal fertility of either the first generation, or the backcross hybrids.

Morphological and genetic variation at microsatellite loci of Caucasian shrew Sorex satunini Ogn. is examined and compared with that of the common shrew S. araneus L. Genetic distance at microsatellite loci between the common shrew and Caucasian shrew proved to be threefold higher than between chromosome races of the common shrew. The Caucasian shrew manifested low polymorphism in studies of both microsatellites and morphometric mandibular traits. The heterozygote deficit was also typical. These properties may be a consequence of partial isolation of the population and gene drift.

Raccoon dog is not only an object of commercial hunting since 1928 it is also bred on farms in Russia. At the present time there are four livestock farms in the country with a breeding stock of 214 animals. For this study were used subspecies Nyctereutes procyonoides ussuriensis raccoon dogs that were kept in cage. A mitotic chromosomes karyological research and synaptonemal complexes (SC) submicroscopial (SM) analysis of the spermatocytes at the middle pachytene stage, as well as SC-karyotyping based on this analysis, were carried out. The SC-karyotype consists of 5 SC autosomal metacentrics, 21 SC autosomal acrocentrics and XY-sex chromosomes (the X chromosome is medium sized metacentric and the Y chromosome is the smallest acrocenter). Different karyological indices are necessary for detecting disorders in mitosis and meiosis caused by chromosomal aberrations.