Différences en immunodiffusion entre Marmota menzbieri et les marmottes paléarctiques. Immunodiffusion difference between Marmota menzbieri and palearctic marmots.

Résumé

The degree of relatedeness of the Marmot Menzbieri to the other Palearctic marmots was estimated by the method of immunodiffusion with the use of antisera against five marmot species. It was established that M. menzbieri is closely related to the red marmot from Kazakhstan, somewhat different from the grey marmot from Koch-Agach and that it has little in common with M. camtschatica from the Baikal, baibac from Uljanovsk and tarbagan from Tuva with respect to the antigenic structure of serum proteins. Use of blood samples from marmots from 22 geographical sites allowed us to identify differences in geographical forms within all the studied species. In the present study, by means of absorption of antisera with the serum of marmot Menzbieri, immunodiffusion differences were established for the first time between baibacs from three distribution ranges and between two populations of red marmots. Distinct differences were detected between three subspecies of M. camtschatica, between these marmots and animals from northern and southern Yakutia.