Haplotypic diversity of the <sub>mt</sub><i>Cytb</i> gene of the common vole (<i>Microtus arvalis sensu lato</i>) in Belarus

Abstract

The analysis of the recent phylogeographic studies of Microtus arvalis is carried out to establish the post-glacial history of colonization of the common vole in the Central region of Europe. The authors have presented the original data on the genetic variability of the mtCytb gene of the common vole (Microtus arvalis s. l.) from 18 localities studied on the territory of Belarus. The genetic characteristics of 53 individuals of the common vole belonging to one eastern line of mitochondrial DNA were studied. It is shown that the population of the species in Belarus is characterized by a high level of genetic diversity comparable to that of other haplogroups of the eastern mtDNA line. The level of variability of mitochondrial fragments of the mtCytb gene of the common vole (Microtus arvalis) from Belarus turned outtobeq uite high (Hd ± SDHd = 0.97 ± 0.02), which is manifested in a large number of the identified mtDNA haplotypes (n = 41). The distribution of the identified haplotypes of Microtus arvalis across various landscape-geographical areas correlates well with the location of the most remote haplotypes on the parsimony network. The assumption is given about the re-settlement (about 9000 thousand years ago) and further settlement of Microtus arvalis on the modern territory of Belarus in two directions: from southeast to west and to northwest, as well as from north to southeast.