Differentiation and Phylogenetic Relationships of Three Pine Vole Species of the Subgenus Terricola (rodentia, Arvicolinae, Microtus): Results of Analysis of the BRCA1 and XIST Nuclear Gene Fragments

Abstract—The variability of three pine vole species, as well differences between them, and the phylogenetic relationships were determined by analysis of nucleotide sequence fragments of nuclear genes BRCA1, exon 11 (1473 bp) and XIST (415 bp). The data obtained by us demonstrate significant genetic disunity of the species and M. majori separation related to M. daghestanicus–M. subterraneus. Studying the XIST gene revealed M. majori differentiation into close North Caucasian and Trans-Caucasian population groups. Fragments of both nuclear genes exhibited unexpectedly high intraspecific variability in M. daghestanicus out of clear relations with the geographic origin of the specimens. We propose that differences in the character of genetic polymorphism between M. daghestanicus and M. majori are due to their ecological peculiarities.