Abstract
Due to their conservative morphology, the complexity of the taxonomic composition of the Myotis “nattereri” species complex was highly underestimated until recently. In recent studies, the form inhabiting the Caucasus region was allocated to the species Myotis tschuliensis. However, no molecular data was available from its type territory in Turkmenistan. We successfully isolated DNA from two paratypes of M. tschuliensis stored in the Zoological museum of Moscow State University and obtained partial sequences of the mitochondrial gene ND1. The analysis of the DNA showed that the specimens from the Caucasus and Turkmenistan undoubtedly belong to the same genetic lineage. However, morphometric analysis of cranial and dental features showed that the Caucasus and Turkmenistan populations differ from each other approximately to the same extent as M. tschuliensis from M. nattereri. It is possible that there is a still undescribed geographical race in the Caucasus. However, final clarification of the taxonomic status of this population requires more extensive studies, both genetic and morphological.
Funding source: Russian Foundation for Basic Research
Award Identifier / Grant number: 17-04-00689a
Acknowledgments
Laboratory study of the collection materials was performed in the Zoological Museum of Moscow University, using the collection facilities, with the support from its director, Dr. M.V. Kalyakin. Additional collection materials were studied in Bavarian State Collection of Zoology, München, with help from Dr. A. van Heteren; in National Museum of Natural History, Madrid, with help from Angel L. Garvía Rodríguez; in Royal Ontario Museum, Canada, with kind permission from Dr. J. L. Eger and Dr. B. Lim; in the Museum of Natural History, Great Britain, with support from Mr. R. Portela Miguez; in Hungarian Natural History Museum, Hungary, with support from Dr. G. Csorba; in Penza State University with permission from Dr. D.G. Smirnov; and in the Zoological Institute of RAS, Russia, with permission and help from Dr. L.L. Voita and Dr. F.N. Golenishchev.
Author contribution: All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.
Research funding: The study was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (grant no. 17-04-00689a). The study was performed in line with State-defined scope of scientific work of the ZMMU (АААА-А16-116021660077-3).
Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest regarding this article.
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