Traditional multilocus phylogeny fails to fully resolve Palearctic ground squirrels (Spermophilus) relationships but reveals a new species endemic to West Siberia.

Previous efforts to reconstruct evolutionary history of Palearctic ground squirrels within the genus Spermophilus have primarily relied on a single mitochondrial marker for phylogenetic data. In this study, we present the first phylogeny with comprehensive taxon sampling of Spermophilus via a conventional multilocus approach utilizing five mitochondrial and five nuclear markers. Through application of the multispecies coalescent model, we constructed a species tree revealing four distinct clades that diverged during the Late Miocene.

New Data on Comparative Cytogenetics of the Mouse-Like Hamsters ( Thomas, 1905) from Iran and Turkmenistan.

The taxonomy of the genus remains controversial. According to the latest systematics the genus includes eight species with great karyotypic variation. Here, we studied karyotypes of 14 individuals from different regions of Iran and Turkmenistan using a new set of chromosome painting probes from a sp.

Reproductive Isolation Between Taxonomically Controversial Forms of the Gray Voles (, Rodentia; Arvicolinae): Cytological Mechanisms and Taxonomical Implications.

The formation of hybrid sterility is an important stage of speciation. The voles of the genus , which is the most speciose genus of rodents, provide a good model for studying the cytological mechanisms of hybrid sterility. The voles of the "" group of the subgenus (2 = 54) comprising several recently diverged forms with unclear taxonomic status are especially interesting.

Phylogenetic relationships and taxonomic position of genus (Rodentia: Arvicolinae) from Kashmir based on evidences from analysis of mitochondrial genome and study of skull morphology.

In this article, we present the nearly complete mitochondrial genome of the Subalpine Kashmir vole (Arvicolinae, Cricetidae, Rodentia), assembled using data from Illumina next-generation sequencing (NGS) of the DNA from a century-old museum specimen. De novo assembly consisted of 16,341 bp and included all mitogenome protein-coding genes as well as 12S and 16S RNAs, tRNAs and D-loop. Using the alignment of protein-coding genes of 14 previously published Arvicolini tribe mitogenomes, seven Clethrionomyini mitogenomes, and also and outgroups, we conducted phylogenetic reconstructions based on a dataset of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs) under maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference.

Complex Structure of Sex Chromosomes, Sex Determination, and Intraspecific Autosomal Polymorphism.

The mandarin vole, , is one of the most intriguing species among mammals with non-XX/XY sex chromosome system. It combines polymorphism in diploid chromosome numbers, variation in the morphology of autosomes, heteromorphism of X chromosomes, and several sex chromosome systems the origin of which remains unexplained. Here we elucidate the sex determination system in using extensive karyotyping, crossbreeding experiments, molecular cytogenetic methods, and single chromosome DNA sequencing.