Table of Contents: Volume 7 (1) 2008 (published 30 December 2008)

An amphilestid-grade eutriconodontan from the Middle Jurassic of Russia Averianov A.O., Lopatin A.V., Krasnolutskii S.A. P. 1-4 An isolated upper molariform tooth from the Middle Jurassic Itat Formation at Berezovsk Quarry, Krasnoyarsk Territory, West Siberia, Russia, is identified as Eutriconodonta indet. By low angulation of the main cusps, reduction of the labial cingulum, and interrupted lingual cingulum it is similar with anterior upper molariform teeth (M1-2) of Gobiconodontidae. This taxon may belong to the oldest gobiconodontid which have not been reported previously from the Jurassic. References    Download PDF

Taxonomy and distribution of the pikas (Ochotona, Lagomorpha) of alpina-hyperborea group in North-East China and adjacent territories Lissovsky A.A., Yang Q., Pil'nikov A.E. P. 5-16 Pikas from Manchurian region were studied using craniometric, bioacoustical, and genetic features. The study revealed that southeast Transbaikalia and northern Manchuria are inhabited by only one taxon of the species level - Ochotona mantchurica Thomas, 1909. The name cinereofusca should be allocated to a form of O. hyperborea from the left bank of Shilka River. The taxon coreana does not belong either to O. mantchurica or O. hyperborea, and, probably, should be recognized as a separate species O. coreana Allen & Andrews, 1913. References    Download PDF

The taxonomy and phylogeography of Palaearctic true lemmings (Lemmus, Cricetidae, Rodentia): New insights from cyt b data Abramson N.I., Kostygov A.Yu., Rodchenkova E.N. P. 17-23 New data that significantly specified phylogeography and taxonomic structure of Palearctic lemmings (Lemmus) have been obtained. Therewith, the data on nucleotide composition of cyt b in true lemmings from the Lena River mouth, the terra typica for L. sibiricus bungei were of particular significance. It has been shown that 1) results are highly reproducible; 2) new, for the first time studied samples from the mouth of the Lena River undoubtedly referred to the west clade and thus, its border shifts to the east; 3) distinguishing of the distinct species L. bungei is not supported by morphological, biological, and molecular data as far as terra typica is inhabited by lemmings referring to the clade of typical L. sibiricus. New data on the variation of cyt b are in a good agreement with morphological, paleontological, and zoogeographical data. They better fit the taxonomic division of the genus. References    Download PDF

Geographical pattern and historical demography of Midday gerbil Meriones meridianus (Gerbillidae, Rodentia) inferred from the sequences of the mitochondrial DNA control region Zou G., Zhou L., Zha X., Zhang B., Zhao T., Liang J. P. 25-32 In order to examine DNA sequence variation, the cause of geographic patterns and historical demography of populations, we sampled 69 individuals of Midday gerbil Meriones meridianus. Among the comparable sequences of 396 bp, 52 haplotypes were defined, 97 nucleotide sites were variable (24.5% in the full sequences). Phylogenetic tree constructed using the neighbor-joining (NJ) of haplotypes demonstrated three clades associated with geographical regions. There were no shared haplotypes found among regions. Time of gene divergence between three clades of Midday gerbil was estimated by mean nucleotide difference, suggesting the divergence of three clades during the Middle Pleistocene. The pattern of phylogenetic discontinuity is a result of both factors which is associated with the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and climate change in Quaternary ice ages. We also examined the historical demography of the clades using stepwise and exponential expansion models, both of which indicated recent rapid population growth. The pairwise mismatch distribution suggested a pattern of population expansion. The population expansion analysis indicated that the present distribution of the population was probably shaped through the rapid range expansion during the last interglaciation stage from the refugium. References    Download PDF

Cave lion (Panthera spelaea) from the Pleistocene of Chuvashiya, European Russia Baryshnikov G.F., Petrova E.A. P. 33-40 Two mandibles of the cave lion referred to the nominotypical subspecies Panthera spelaea spelaea are recorded for the first time in the Pleistocene of Chuvashiya. The distribution map of this subspecies in the Eastern Europe is given. References    Download PDF

The Langsdorff's expedition to Brazil and its mammal collection kept in the Zoological Institute of St. Petersburg, Russia Abramov A.V., Baranova G.I. P. 41-50 All the available collecting data on the mammal collection made during the 1822-1829 Brazil expedition under the leadership by G.I. Langsdorff are provided. The collection is kept in the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg and at present contains 184 specimens of 74 species and 26 families of the orders Didelphimorphia, Cingulata, Pilosa, Primates, Lagomorpha, Chiroptera, Carnivora, Perissodactyla, Artiodactyla, and Rodentia. References    Download PDF

Obituary. Mikhail Vyacheslavovich Zaitsev (1954-2005). The steps of scientific way. Professionalism and courage. Abramson N.I. P. 51-54 References    Download PDF