INTRAPOPULATION POLYMORPHISM OF POLECAT (MUSTELA PUTORIUS, CARNIVORA, MUSTELIDAE)

摘要

The assessment of intrapopulation polymorphism of the polecat Mustela putorius L. 1758 is given on the basis of five skull samples from four local habitats with a distance of 60-240 km between them. The results of our study using phenetic (250 skulls), morphometric (148 skulls) and molecular genetic (38 skin samples) methods allowed us to characterize the polecat as a morphologically polymorphic species with relatively low genetic diversity. In polecat, the higher level of morphological diversity adequate to its ecological niche was shown to be formed on the background of low nucleotide and haplotypical polymorphism as compared to that in closely related species (Mustela lutreola L. 1761, Manes martes L. 1758). The adaptive strategy of the species' lifestyle is implemented due to its biological peculiarities such as individual variability, high level of sexual dimorphism, long mating period, high fertility, habitat versatility, and expressed synanthropy.