Intraspecific Divergence within the Black-Capped Marmot Marmota camtschatica (Sciuridae, Marmotinae).

Résumé

The morphological and immunogenetic parameters of three Marmota camtschatica subspecies were studied. The greatest differences in measurements and nonmetric skull characteristics were revealed between M. c. camtschatica and M. c. doppelmayri in a number of cases, the variation ranges of these parameters did not overlap. M. c. bungei was intermediate between the latter two subspecies and, at the same time, heterogeneous. Immunogenetic tests revealed distinct differences between the three subspecies of the black-capped marmot and between two geographic forms of marmots from Yakutia. The results of this study and published data are evidence for a high divergence of the M. camtschatica forms, the extent to which the Kamchatka and Barguzin subspecies differ from each other in the entire set of parameters is comparable to the differences between separate species the Yakut subspecies occupies the intermediate position. The black-capped marmot probably is a species in statu nascendi and shows a situation resembling the phenomenon of a circle of races (Ras-senkreise). Most likely, the black-capped marmots should be considered to be a superspecies M. camtschatica.