Alexei V Abramov

Russian Academy of Sciences | RAS · Zoological Institute

An annotated checklist of 32 extant species from 12 genera of the insectivores (Mammalia, Lipotyphla) of Vietnam is provided. Many recently recorded/described species remain known from the territory of Vietnam only: at least seven species of the white-toothed shrews (C. annamitensis, C. guy, C. kegoensis, C. phuquocensis, C. sapaensis, C. sokolovi,...

1. The current classification of the Felidae was reviewed by a panel of 22 experts divided into core, expert and review groups, which make up the Cat Classification Task Force CCTF of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group. 2. The principal aim of the CCTF was to produce a consensus on a revised classification of the Felidae for use by the IUCN. 3. Based on...

A new species of gymnure of the genus Neohylomys is described from northern Vietnam based on morphological and molecular differences. The species Neohylomys vietnamensis sp. nov. differs from the closely related species N. hainanensis from Hainan Island, China, previously the only species of the genus Neohylomys, by morphological and morphometric t...

Sand cats, Felis margarita, range from northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula to Central Asia. Their apparently discontinuous distribution is recognized as comprising four subspecies. Recent genetic research found little differentiation between subspecies except for the North African form. In this study, 90 skins and 88 skulls were analyzed from...

The wild rats in the genus Rattus represent a group of murids characterized by rapid lineage diversification but limited morphological variation. Within this genus, there are several commensal species with high invasive capacity, such as R. norvegicus and R. rattus, which pose a global threat. Investigating the mechanisms behind their adaptive evol...

This comprehensive species-specific chapter covers all aspects of the mammalian biology, including paleontology, physiology, genetics, reproduction and development, ecology, habitat, diet, mortality, and behavior. The economic significance and management of mammals and future challenges for research and conservation are addressed as well. The chapt...

The distribution of Vandeleuria oleraceus in eastern Indochina was analysed based on the available information and museum specimens. There are a few records from Laos, the only confi rmed locality in Cambodia and records from northwestern and southern Vietnam. The population from southern Vietnam (Dalat Plateau) is likely to be a geographic isolate...

This comprehensive species-specific chapter covers all aspects of the mammalian biology, including paleontology, physiology, genetics, reproduction and development, ecology, habitat, diet, mortality, and behavior. The economic significance and management of mammals and future challenges for research and conservation are addressed as well. The chapt...

Aim Our aim was to assess the population structure, genetic diversity and demographic history of the wolverine (Gulo gulo) throughout its entire Eurasian range. Additionally, we aimed to contextualize and put into perspective the state of the endangered Fennoscandian population by emphasizing its connectivity to other populations. Location The mai...

Hylophthirus spinosus, new genus and new species (Phthiraptera: Anoplura: Enderleinellidae), is described from specimens collected from the particoloured flying squirrel, Hylopetes alboniger in Khammouane Province, Laos (Lao People’s Democratic Republic). Both sexes of the new louse are illustrated with stacked microphotographs, scanning electron m...

Fossil badgers of the genus Meles are known in Eurasia since the Late Pliocene but their record is utterly scarce, often represented by isolated remains. This led to taxonomic confusion and hindered phylogenetic reconstruction of the genus. Here we describe in detail all the material attributed to M. thorali from the Early Pleistocene locality of S...

This comprehensive species-specific chapter covers all aspects of the mammalian biology, including paleontology, physiology, genetics, reproduction and development, ecology, habitat, diet, mortality, and behavior. The economic significance and management of mammals and future challenges for research and conservation are addressed as well. The chapt...

Four mitochondrial phylogroups are distinguished in the European pine marten (Martes martes), two of which, FNR1/2, are shared with the more easterly sister species, the sable (Martes zibellina). Here, we found that the phylogroup frequencies differed markedly between the southern Finland and western Russia populations in the eastern part of the ra...

The patterns of morphometric variation in external body and skull characters of two Asiatic water shrews (Chimarrogale himalayica and C. varennei) from Vietnam were analysed using different indices of variability. A total of 28 specimens were studied. Univariate, multivariate, and allometric analyses were conducted on 21 measurements of 26 skulls,...

This review is devoted to mammalogical research in Vietnam. A brief history of the study of mammals in eastern Indochina from the 17th century to the present is given. The main attention is paid to Soviet and Russian research carried out within the framework of the activities of the Joint Vietnam-Russia Tropical Research and Technological Center (e...

In recent years, the number of mole species with species status confirmed by genetic methods has been continuously increasing. Unfortunately, cytogenetic data are not yet available for all species. Here, for the first time, a GTG-banded karyotype of the small-toothed mole from Vietnam, Euroscaptor parvidens, a representative of the Eastern clade of...

In recent years, the number of mole species for which the species status has been confirmed using genetic methods has been continuously increasing. Unfortunately, cytogenetic analysis is not available for all species. Here, for the first time, a GTG-banded karyotype of the small-toothed mole from Vietnam, Euroscaptor parvidens, a representative of...

Обзор посвящен териологическим исследованиям во Вьетнаме. Приведена краткая история исследования млекопитающих Восточного Индокитая с XVII в. до нашего времени. Основное внимание уделено советским и российским исследованиям, проводимым в рамках деятельности Совместного Российско-Вьетнамского Тропического научно-исследовательского и технологическог...

The stone marten (Martes foina) is a small carnivore distributed from Europe to Central Asia. To investigate its phylogeography, we sequenced part of the mitochondrial control-region (485 bp) for 30 individuals from 26 localities broadly covering the species range across continental Eurasia. We identified 16 haplotypes, which comprised two major gr...

Integration of the world's natural history collections can provide a resource for decision-makers.

Over the past three centuries, people have collected objects and specimens and placed them in natural history museums throughout the world. Taken as a whole, this global collection is the physical basis for our understanding of the natural world and our place in it, an unparalleled source of information that is directly relevant to issues as divers...

In this paper, we report the complete mitochondrial genome of the northern smooth-tailed treeshrew Dendrogale murina, which was sequenced for the first time using the Illumina next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology. The total length of the mitochondrial genome is 16,844-16,850 bp and encodes 37 genes, including two ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) 12S a...

The phylogeography of the Altai weasel (Mustela altaica) based on mitochondrial control-region sequences was investigated using samples from individuals obtained widely across the species range, including Central Asia, Tibet and southern Siberia. Thirty-four haplotypes were identified among 53 individuals from 32 localities. A maximum-likelihood ph...

The Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences in St Petersburg is one of the oldest biological research institutions in Russia, housing the largest zoological collections in the country, both in terms of their size (number of specimens) and global diversity. It is also one of the largest zoological depositories in the world, with over...

Unlabelled: There are only about 7,100 adolescent and adult cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) remaining in the wild. With the majority occurring outside protected areas, their numbers are rapidly declining. Evidence-based conservation measures are essential for the survival of this species. Genetic data is routinely used to inform conservation strategie...

Given the current era of rapid biodiversity loss, there is an urgent need to understand the mechanisms driving the biodiversity dynamics in biodiversity hotspots because these results could guide make conservation actions to protect species under threat from rapid environmental changes and extensive human impacts. To achieve this goal, we have orga...

The upper dentition of Crocidura exhibits polymorphic characters that were revealed for the first time in this study via high-resolution X-ray computed microtomography. Our analyses of 11 Crocidura species and selected Diplomesodon, Suncus and Sylvisorex species from different geographical regions and size groups revealed the most complex character...

The phylogeographic structure of the endemic white-toothed shrews of Vietnam, which belong to the Crocidura kegoensis–C. zaitsevi group, was assessed using mitochondrial and nuclear data. Specimens from 12 localities across Vietnam, including the holotypes of C. kegoensis and C. zaitsevi, were evaluated according to the complete mitochondrial cytoc...

There are only about 7,100 adolescent and adult cheetahs remaining in the wild. With the majority occurring outside protected areas, their numbers are rapidly declining. Evidence-based conservation measures are essential for the survival of this species. Genetic data is routinely used to inform conservation strategies, e.g., by establishing conserv...

As viral genomic imprints in host genomes, endogenous viral elements (EVEs) shed light on the deep evolutionary history of viruses, ancestral host ranges, and ancient viral-host interactions. In addition, they may provide crucial information for calibrating viral evolutionary timescales. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive in silico screeni...

Taxonomic status of gliding squirrels belonging to the “northern” form of Petinomys setosus known from N. Burma and Thailand has been controversial. Earlier it was assigned to a distinct genus Olisthomys, however, currently it is synonymized with P. setosus s. str. from Sumatra and Borneo Islands, and Malay Peninsula. A squirrel collected in Song H...

We live in a world characterised by biodiversity loss and global environmental change. The extinction of large carnivores can have ramifying effects on ecosystems like an uncontrolled increase in wild herbivores, which in turn can have knock‐on impacts on vegetation regeneration and communities. Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) serve important ecosystem...

Based on new molecular data for mitochondrial (Cyt b) and nuclear (IRBP, RAG1) genes, as well as an extensive analysis of morphological material, we accessed actual species taxonomy and relationships among Asian red-cheeked squirrels Dremomys distributed in eastern Indochina and southern China. Phylo-genetic analyses demonstrated that Asian red-che...

As viral genomic imprints in host genomes, endogenous viral elements (EVEs) shed light on the deep evolutionary history of viruses, ancestral host ranges, and ancient viral-host interactions. In addition, they may provide crucial information for calibrating viral evolutionary timescales. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive in silico screeni...

Supplemental Material, S8. Data matrix for the phylogenentic analysis of the Crocidurinae, with 46 characters and 20 species including the out-group species, Myosorex, Neomys and Sorex, and character descriptions. Article: Dental polymorphisms in Crocidura (Soricomorpha: Soricidae) and evolutionary diversification of crocidurine shrew dentition. DO...

Supplemental Material, S4. General information on the principal component analyses performed for the skull shape comparisons in (Crocidurinae/Myosoricinae)/Soricinae and separately in Crocidura. Article: Dental polymorphisms in Crocidura (Soricomorpha: Soricidae) and evolutionary diversification of crocidurine shrew dentition. DOI: 10.1093/zoolinne...

Supplemental Material, S3. Configuration of 14 landmarks used for cranial shape analyses and R script for visualisation of the shape transformation (two figs). Article: Dental polymorphisms in Crocidura (Soricomorpha: Soricidae) and evolutionary diversification of crocidurine shrew dentition. DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab103 see also: Project: 3885,...

Supplemental Material, S6. Results of skull shape analysis of 11 Crocidura species (four figures). Article: Dental polymorphisms in Crocidura (Soricomorpha: Soricidae) and evolutionary diversification of crocidurine shrew dentition. DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab103 see also: Project: 3885, Shrew dentition (Soricomorpha, Soricidae) — Crocidurinae phy...

Supplemental Material, S2. Abbreviations used in the text. Article: Dental polymorphisms in Crocidura (Soricomorpha: Soricidae) and evolutionary diversification of crocidurine shrew dentition. DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab103 see also: Project: 3885, Shrew dentition (Soricomorpha, Soricidae) — Crocidurinae phylogeny via http://morphobank.org/permali...

Supplemental Material, S1. List of specimens analysed, additional information on specimens and settings for micro-computed tomography scanning. Article: Dental polymorphisms in Crocidura (Soricomorpha: Soricidae) and evolutionary diversification of crocidurine shrew dentition. DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab103 see also: Project: 3885, Shrew dentitio...

Supplemental Material, S9. Variability of qualitative characters used in the parsimony analysis. Article: Dental polymorphisms in Crocidura (Soricomorpha: Soricidae) and evolutionary diversification of crocidurine shrew dentition. DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab103 see also: Project: 3885, Shrew dentition (Soricomorpha, Soricidae) — Crocidurinae phylo...

Supplemental Material, S10. Parsimony analysis results. Article: Dental polymorphisms in Crocidura (Soricomorpha: Soricidae) and evolutionary diversification of crocidurine shrew dentition. DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab103 see also: Project: 3885, Shrew dentition (Soricomorpha, Soricidae) — Crocidurinae phylogeny via http://morphobank.org/permalink/...

Supplemental Material, S5. Results of skull shape analysis of the samples of (Crocidurinae/Myosoricinae)/Soricinae subfamilies (six figures). Article: Dental polymorphisms in Crocidura (Soricomorpha: Soricidae) and evolutionary diversification of crocidurine shrew dentition. DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab103 see also: Project: 3885, Shrew dentition (...

Supplemental Material, S7. Images of the reconstructed surfaces of upper teeth and pulp endocast of 20 shrew species (30 plates). Article: Dental polymorphisms in Crocidura (Soricomorpha: Soricidae) and evolutionary diversification of crocidurine shrew dentition. DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab103 see also: Project: 3885, Shrew dentition (Soricomorpha...

The order Carnivora, which currently includes 296 species classified into 16 families, is distributed across all continents. The phylogeny and the timing of diversification of members of the order are still a matter of debate. Here, complete mitochondrial genomes were analysed to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships and to estimate divergence...

The Altai weasel, Mustela altaicaPallas 1811 (Carnivora: Mustelidae), is widely distributed across open landscapes of central and eastern Asia. The geographical variation in skull morphology and taxonomic composition of this small mustelid remain poorly known. Based on extensive sampling in museum collections, we analyzed morphometric variation in...

Introgressive hybridisation can pose a serious threat to endangered species which have an overlapping distribution such as in the case of two polecat species, Mustela eversmanii, and M. putorius, in Europe. The population size of steppe polecat is known to continuously shrink, whereas its sister species, the European polecat, is still somehow wides...

An annotated checklist of the insectivorous mammals (order Eulipotyphla) of Laos is presented for the first time. The checklist is based on an extensive literature review and an examination of available museum specimens from world collections. Confirmed fauna of eulipotyphlans includes 11 species from 7 genera and 3 families. Additionally, several...

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes have been widely studied to assess the immunological fitness and evolutionary adaptation of animal populations. Among the Canidae, the raccoon dog's adventurous nature, omnivorous behavior, and high variability of intracellular pathogens make it ideal to study selection on MHC class I in a non-model cani...

The study combines available data on species distribution in eastern Indochina to investigate the phylogeographical genetic and morphological diversity of tree rats ( Chiromyscus , Rodentia, Muridae) and to specify their natural ranges. We examined the diversity and distribution of tree rats over its range, based on recent molecular data for mitoch...

For organisms to survive and prosper in a harsh environment, particularly under rapid climate change, poses tremendous challenges. Recent studies have highlighted the continued loss of megafauna in terrestrial ecosystems and the subsequent surge of small mammals, such as rodents, bats, lagomorphs, and insectivores. However, the ecological partition...

Field surveys of mammals in two protected areas of the northeastern limestone region of Vietnam, the Cham Chu (Tuyen Quang Province) and Bac Me (Ha Giang Province) Nature Reserves were conducted in 2018 and 2019. Thirty-five species of small mammals were recorded based both on field observations and on morphological and/or molecular evidence, as fo...

The sand cat, Felis margarita Loche, 1858, is a small desert cat with a fragmented distribution across the Sahara, Arabian Peninsula, and Central Asia. It is currently listed as Least Concern by the IUCN; however, its status in many countries is unknown. Sand cats are generally classified into four subspecies: F. m. margarita (North Africa and Saha...

The mole vole subgenus Ellobius is currently considered to include three species: Ellobius talpinus (distributed from SE Europe and Turkmenistan through Kazakhstan to SW Siberia), Ellobius alaicus (S Tianshan, Pamir‐Alay) and Ellobius tancrei (East and West Central Asia, from the Amu‐Darya to Mongolia and N China). A study focusing on the genetic v...

The patterns of morphometric variation in skulls among different species and among intraspecies geographic populations, of five taxa (four species and one subspecies) of the mole genus Euroscaptor from Vietnam were investigated. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted based on 16 measurements of 140 specimens. Four groups based on skull...

The sika deer (Cervus nippon) is native to eastern Asia and commonly occurs on Hokkaido Island, northern Japan. The nearby localities of the southern Kuril Islands, located east of Hokkaido, have not been regarded as part of the sika deer’s regular range, despite isolated observations and trace evidence described before 2017. Here we consolidate th...

Niviventer andersoni (Thomas, 1911) is an endemic species of China. This taxon has the largest body-size when compared with congeneric species of the genus Niviventer Marshall, 1976. Fossil records showed this species extended to the low altitude regions of Southeast China during the late Quaternary in Chongqing and Guizhou, suggesting its potentia...

The Niviventer fulvescens species complex (NFSC), consisting of abundant and taxonomically ambiguous rodent taxa, is distributed from Southeast Asia to Southeast China. We integrated molecular and morphological datasets to clarify the species composition and variation in the NFSC. Our phylogenetic analyses using molecular data recovered eight genet...

Raccoon dogs, Nyctereutes procyonoides, are native to East Asia, but have been introduced into western Russia and eastern Europe. To determine allelic diversity and elucidate the evolution of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II genes in the raccoon dog, we analysed a 237-bp region of DRB exon 2 from 36 individuals of native and introduc...

No longer Data Deficient: recategorizing the Annamite striped rabbit Nesolagus timminsi as Endangered - Volume 54 Issue 2 - Andrew Tilker, An Nguyen, R.J. Timmins, Thomas N.E. Gray, Robert Steinmetz, Alexei V. Abramov, Nicholas Wilkinson

Although the present-day distributional boundary between the European badger (Meles meles) and the Asian badger (Meles leucurus) is around the Volga River, studies of ancient bone remains have indicated changes in the distribution of M. meles and M. leucurus in the Urals–Volga region during the Holocene. To examine past changes in distribution usin...

We investigated the genetic diversity and distribution pattern of mitochondrial DNA control-region haplotypes across the distributional range of the Siberian weasel (Mustela sibirica) in Eastern Eurasia. We identified 23 haplotypes from 65 individuals sampled from 21 localities. Our analyses showed two major phylogeographical groups: group I compri...

The least weasel (Mustela nivalis) is one of the most widely distributed carnivorans. While previous studies have identified distinct western and eastern mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) lineages of the species in the western Palearctic, their broader distributions across the Palearctic have remained unknown. To address the broad‐scale phylogeographical s...