Variability of the mandible linear sizes of the bobak marmot (Marmota bobac Müll.) as the characteristic of population structure of this species in the Asia part of area [Variabilité de la taille linéaire de la mandibule de la marmotte Bobak (Marmota bobac Müll.): caractéristique de la structure de la population de cette espèce dans la partie de la zone Asiatique].

Résumé

The analysis of the variability of bobak marmot mandible sizes is carried out on the base of seven absolute and six relative characters. Five samples of the adult males were taken from west, centre and east of the Asian part of area. The statistical data processing was carried out by methods of the discriminant and cluster analysis. The received results allow to suppose that marmots from the Southern Urals (samples “Bredy” and “Svetly”) and from Northwest Kazakhstan (sample “Arkalyk”), on the one hand, and from Northeast Kazakhstan (sample “ Bogembay”), on the other hand, concern to different populations. Marmots from Northern Kazakhstan (sample “Rusaevka”) are in intermediate position. Thus, such natural boundaries as Turgay Hollow and the valleys of rivers Tobol, Ayat and Ishim are not the borders between populations, as assumed V.J. Rumyantsev (1991). More probably, the isolation by distance takes place in this case. Clinal reduction of the mandible sizes in a direction from the west to east and from the south to north also proves this hypothesis.