New record of Microtus mystacinus in eastern Kazakhstan: phylogeographical considerations

Abstract

The Eastern European vole (Microtusmystacinus) is an arvicoline rodent distributed across northern and eastern Europe, the Balkans, Turkey, Armenia, NW and N Iran, Russia as far east as the Tobol River in W Siberia, and W and N Kazakhstan. We present a novel records from eastern Kazakhstan (the village of Dzhambul – 49°14'21.3"N, 86°18'29.9"E and the village of Sekisovka – 50°21'9.18"N, 82°35'46.5"E) based on mtDNA and we discuss implications of this findings on biogeography of eastern Kazakhstan populations. Marine Isotope Stage 11 is considered an important period for the diversification of the arvalis species group. In the context of our study, it is important to analyse genetically discontinuous Siberian populations, and the current distribution of Microtusmystacinus in new localities in eastern Kazakhstan.