A comparative analysis of spermatozoa in six mouse species of the genus Apodemus (Rodentia, Muridae) from Eastern Europe and Transcaucasia [Russian]

摘要

A comparative analysis of structural and metric peculiarities of spermatozoa in six species of the genus Apodemus (A. mosquensis, A ciscaucasicus, A. ponticus, A. flavicollis, A. fulipectus, and A. agrarius) from Eastern Europe and adjacent territories of Transcaucasia was performed for the first time. In these species, as well as in most Muridae species, spermatozoa are similar. They consist of an asymmetric falciform head and a tail attached to the ventrocaudal surface of the head. There are interspecific differences in sperm morphology and its size. Neither geographic nor individual variation in these characteristics was found. The latter may be used as diagnostic characteristics for the identification of sympatric and morphologically similar species of the subgenus Sylvaemus. Spermatozoa of the closely related species A. (S.) mosquensis-A. (S.) ciscaucasicus and A. (S.) flavicollis-A. (S.) ponticus proved to be the most similar, while those in A. (S.) fulvipectus differed to some degree. Spermatozoa of A. agrarius drastically differ from those in the other species studied. Taxonomic and philogenetic aspects of the results obtained are discussed.