The full sequences (1 058 bp) of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region of the red squirrel from five localities in South Korea and two localities from northeast China (Sciurus vulgaris mantchuricus Thomas) were obtained and analyzed to determine the degree of sequence variation in the populations of two countries and to clarify the taxonomic status of the subspecies as well. The average Tamura-Nei nucleotide distance among 21 haplotypes from 39 Korean red squirrels and among another 21 haplotypes from 24 Chinese red squirrels were 1.0% and 1.4%, respectively. The sequences varied at 119 sites of 1 058 bp (11.2%). The average distance between the haplotypes of Korean red squirrel and Chinese red squirrel was 1.3%. Moreover, all 42 haplotypes from 63 red squirrels from Korea and China formed a monophyletic clade, and the Fst value was 0.04, indicating that genetic differentiation has not occurred between the two countries'red squirrels. It is concluded that this molecular result supports the present classification, i.e., the subspecies coreae from Korea is a synonym of the subspecies mantchuricus from northern China, although further molecular and morphological analyses with the specimens from North Korea and other areas of northeast China are necessary to confirm the taxonomic status of the subspecies mantchuricus.%为了研究松鼠东北亚种(Sciurus vulgaris manchuricus Thomas)不同种群的序列变异水平并进一步确定分类地位,我们分析了韩国5个地点和中国东北2个地点的松鼠标本的线粒体DNA控制区的全序列(1 058 bp).39个韩国松鼠标本显示出21种单倍型,这些单倍型间的平均Tamura-Nei 距离为1.0%;24个中国松鼠标本显示21种单倍型,单倍型间的平均Tamura-Nei 距离为1.4%(1 058 bp的全序列中发生变异的位点有119个,占11.2%).韩国松鼠和中国松鼠间的平均距离为1.3%.并且韩国和中国松鼠的所有42个单倍型形成了一个单系分支,Fst值为0.04,表明在两个国家的松鼠间没有发生遗传分化.因此,序列分析的分子生物学的结果支持现行的分类,即来自韩国的朝鲜亚种(S.v.coreae)是中国北部地区松鼠东北亚种(S.v.manchuricus)的同物异名.这还需要进一步对北朝鲜和中国东北其它地区更多标本的分子和形态学分析来验证这一结论.
展开▼
