LABORATORY OF THERIOLOGY
About
Main Research Areas:
- Study of trends in changes within small mammal and pinniped communities under anthropogenic pressure and global climate change conditions;
- Identification of the organizational and functional characteristics of structurally diverse mammal communities;
- Research on the fauna and populations of mammals from the Late Pleistocene and Holocene in the southern Russian Far East;
- Development of diagnostic methods for identifying mammals based on skeletal elements and studying their morphological variability;
- The role of trophic competition in the transformation of large herbivore communities;
- Comparative functional morphology of the digestive system as a tool for understanding the structural patterns of communities that include insectivores and rodents;
- Estimation of abundance and biomass of small terrestrial vertebrates at forest landscape boundaries under global change conditions;
- Inventory of the taxonomic diversity of amphibians and reptiles in East Asia;
- Monitoring studies of rare and endangered species of the Far Eastern herpetofauna;
- Assessment of the epidemic potential of venomous snakes in the Russian Far East.
Approaches and Methods Used:
Both classical and cutting-edge scientific research methods are employed, with the choice of methods determined by the specific objectives of each research stage. These include modern field research techniques, comparative morphological and morphometric methods, geometric morphometrics, biometric and multivariate statistical analyses, as well as population genetics methods.
For monitoring marine mammal populations, a specialized method of remote animal tracking has been developed and is actively used. This includes the use of UAVs (drones) and autonomous systems for remote audio and video recording of seal activity at haul-out sites.
Collections:
- Reference osteological collection of mammals for the identification of remains from paleontological and archaeological excavations;
- Collection of subfossil mammal remains from caves in the Russian Far East;
- Collection of holotypes of extinct Pleistocene mammals;
- Series of artiodactyl skulls;
- Collection of rodent skulls and specimens by V.A. Kostenko;
- Collection of insectivore and rodent specimens with detailed quantitative data from Primorsky Krai;
- Alcohol-preserved and osteological collections of insectivores and bats from the Russian Far East;
- Alcohol-preserved collections of amphibians and reptiles.
History of the Laboratory of Theriology
The research directions of the Laboratory of Theriology, which began its work with the founding of the Institute of Biology and Soil Science of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences in 1962, were defined by Gordey Fedorovich Bromlei, the laboratory's first head. By that time, he was already an experienced theriologist, having worked in the Russian Far East for over 20 years. He led research departments in the Sikhote-Alin, Lazovsky, and Ussuri Nature Reserves and served as director of the Sikhote-Alin and Ussuri Reserves.
The laboratory’s main research focus, which addressed pressing national needs, was comprehensive ecological and faunistic studies of terrestrial vertebrates in the Russian Far East. At different times, the laboratory employed prominent scientists such as world-renowned experimental ecologist N.I. Kalabukhov, leading experts on insectivorous mammals of the region M.V. Okhotina, rodent specialist V.A. Kostenko, and carnivore experts I.G. Nikolaev, A.G. Yudakov, V.G. Yudin, among others.
Since the 2000s, the laboratory has expanded into new research areas. In 2002, systematic studies of the mammalian fauna and communities of the Late Quaternary period began. Several extinct mammalian species new to science were described, previously undocumented species for the region were discovered, and trends in the development of rodent and shrew communities during the Late Quaternary were identified. Changes in the fauna were analyzed in connection with global climate and landscape transformations.
For a decade, the laboratory conducted studies on pinnipeds, particularly investigating the causes of land-based breeding in typically ice-breeding true seals. Using the spotted seal as a model, researchers identified mechanisms for the formation of land-based seal aggregations as unique social structures. Programs for tagging and genetic studies of true seals were also initiated.
The laboratory revealed key patterns in how vegetation (as a trophic resource), hunting, and predator activity influence the distribution of ungulates in the southern Russian Far East, particularly regarding feeding ecology.
Since 2014, herpetological research on amphibians and reptiles has resumed within the laboratory.
Today, the laboratory’s research directions are shaped both by its historical roots—its extensive accumulated data, scientific heritage, and established expertise—and by current global scientific challenges in ecology, systematics, and paleontology.
