The Forest-Steppe Grouping of the Red-Backed Vole (Myodes rutilus) Variability in Primorsky Krai according to mtDNA Data

Abstract For the first time in the south of the Russian Far East, the variability of the population of the red-backed vole Myodes rutilus inhabiting the Prikhankayskaya Lowland was analyzed. According to the variability of the cytochrome b gene of mtDNA, it was shown that the studied population has a monophyletic origin and is characterized by high haplotype (95.5%) and nucleotide (0.56%) diversity. A reliable level of subdivision of the analyzed population from the rest of the range with a low level of gene flow was found. The data obtained indicate that at present the red-backed vole population inhabiting the forest-steppe landscapes of the Prikhankayskaya Lowland, which are atypical for the species, is partially segregated and is at the initial stage of differentiation.