Author(s): Markov, G.
Title: Cranial epigenetic polymorphism and population differentiation of the Forest Dormouse (Dryomys nitedula Pall., 1779) in Bulgaria
Year: 2003
Volume: 49
Pages: 109-115.
Abstract: Variability of non-metric traits was studied on skulls of 75 individuals of the Forest dormouse (Dryomys nitedula Pallas, 1779) from three populations located in the Mountain systems: Stara planina – Central Balkans, Vitosha Mountain and mountain territories in Southeastern Bulgaria and populations originating from hill forests in northeastern Bulgaria. The analysis of epigenetic variability of the four groups of D. nitedula, based on 12 epigenetic characters, revealed that it is similar in all the populations studied from the mountain systems varying from Vi = 0.087 to Vi = 0.06208. The epigenetic variability of the population of Forest dormouse from hill forests in Northeastern Bulgaria scores relatively higher than the average for the mountain populations of this species (Vi = 0.10807). The occurrence frequency of the non-metric characters studied was used to determine the mean measure of inter-population divergence. The cranial epigenetic polymorphism found in the Forest dormouse of Bulgaria and its population differentiation reveal the lack of clearly distinct epigenetic population differentiation excepting the population inhabiting the mountain territories in Southeast Bulgaria, where the population expresses the micro-geographic epigenetic fragmentation of the Forest dormouse in Bulgaria.
Keywords: epigenetic polymorphism, Forest dormouse, Dryomys nitedula, population differentiation
Journal: Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae
Journal abbreviation:
ISSN: 1217-8837
Publisher: Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest
Editor(s): Matskási, I., Peregovits, L., Morris, P. A. & Bakonyi, G.
