Marina V. Pavlenko, A.Yu. Puzachenko, Yuri A. Bazhenov
В издании Modern Achievements in Population, Evolutionary, and Ecological Genetics: International Symposium, Vladivostok – Vostok Marine Biological Station, September 2–5, 2025: Abstracts
Год: 2025 Страницы: 34
Zokors Myospalacinae Lilljeborg, 1866 are a group of highly specialized underground rodents, endemic of East Asia. Based on molecular genetic markers, zokors are considered to be part of the mole rat family Spalacidae as a subfamily Myospalacinae (Norris et al., 2004), represented by one (Myospalax), or two (Myospalax and Eospalax), or even three (Myospalax, Eospalax, Siphneus) genera (Golovanov, Zazhigin, 2023). The group is poorly studied in all respects, including no consensus on the number of species and their phylogenetic relationships. Several species, between 5 and 11, are recognized in the group (Wilson, Reader, 2005; Norris, 2017), while in Russia up to 5 mentioned (Puzachenko et al, 2009; 2014; Pavlinov, 2012). Most of the ranges of these species, except for the Altai zokors, lie within the territory of China. There are two marginal populations of North Cina zokor in Russia: first, in South-East Transbaikalia, and second one in Khanka plain region in Primorye (Ussuriland). Systematic status of these forms is now debated (Puzachenko et al, 2014; Pavlenko et al., 2014). The most complex group of zokors in subfamily is the most southern representatives that distributed in China within the Loess Plateau and Tibetan Plateau and distinguished as a separate genus (Eospalax) (Liu. et al., 2022; Zhang et al., 2022). Five main directions of researches of zokors can be identified. First one is taxonomy, based on genetics and morphological differentiation; than phylogenetic relationships based on molecular data and paleontology; some researches are devoted to study of adaptation to hypoxia and evolutionary significant genes. Traditional species ecology studies, such as life style, habitat adaptations, daily and seasonal activity, main reproductive characteristics, such as breeding, mating and pregnancy time, litter size are clearly insufficient. Low level of reproductive features and their habitat reduction make zokors potentially vulnerable to anthropogenic impact. Most interesting results were obtained with the development of high-throughput sequencing technologies. For instance, SNPs (Single nucleotide polymorphisms) markers have been applied into researches in taxonomy and phylogeny of Eospalax in Myospalacinae (Liu et al., 2022). The contribution of Russian researchers belongs to the genetic and morphological analysis of the populations inhabiting country, discovering new species for Russia in Transbaikalia (Martynova et al., 1977; Puzachenko et al., 2009, 2014, Tsvirka et al., 2011; Pavlenko, et al., 2014). The parapatric habitat of three species of zokors in the southeastern Transbaikalia is shown (Bazhenov, Pavlenko 2020). For the first time, a comparative study of the reproductive characteristics of zokor’s species living in the east of Russia was conducted (Bazhenov, Pavlenko, 2025). Recent paleontological studies have shown strong difference in the evolution of West Siberian zokors and zokors from other regions, which allowed to identify a separate phyletic line that existed in West Siberia at least since the Early Pleistocene and to propose a revision for taxonomy of Myospalacinae (Golovanov, Zazhigin, 2023). Pleistocene and modern distribution of the Altai zokors in response to environmental factors were described as well (Golovanov et al., 2024). The research was carried out within the state assignment of Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (theme No. 124012200182-1).
