Viatcheslav Vladimirovich Rozhnov

• Professor
• Research Director at Russian Academy of Sciences

Background Long-term persistence of species with low genetic diversity is the focus of widespread attention in conservation biology. The snow leopard, Panthera uncia, is a big cat from high-alpine regions of Asia. However, its subspecies taxonomy, evolutionary history, evolutionary potential, and survival strategy remain unclear, which greatly hamp...

Genetic diversity of neutral markers (15 microsatellite loci) was assessed for the first time in two landlocked seal species, the Baikal seal Pusa sibirica and Caspian seal P. caspica, and compared with that in the oceanic species ringed seal P. hispida of the same genus. Lower genetic diversity was observed in both of the landlocked seal species,...

Roads have various impacts on wildlife, such as habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, avoidance effects, hindering migration, population isolation, road injuries, etc. In order to understand the reactions of winter mammals when encountering different types of roads and clarify the impact of roads on their crossing during winter, we investigated...

The example of the Amur tiger and the Far Eastern leopard shows that some linear structures (highways) can have a negative impact on the genetic structure of the animal population, while others (border infrastructure) and rivers are not an obstacle to animal movement. The role of ecological corridors in the restoration of the Amur tiger populat...

The Caspian seal ( Pusa caspica ) is a member of the earless (Phocidae) family, and the only mammal endemic to the brackish Caspian Sea. We generated a whole genome sequence of this species using the Illumina Paired-end short reads whole genome sequencing approach. The DNA reads were assembled using the Abyss2 de novo assembly approach. The raw dat...

We surveyed the distribution of small terrestrial mammals along the Da (Black) River in the Bac Yen district, Son La province, Vietnam. We recorded 21 species in the area. Species identifications were carried out using morphological and genetic methods in accordance with up-to-date taxonomy. The Da River is traditionally considered a zoogeographic...

The Russian desman ( Desmana moschata ) is a rare member of the Desmaninae subfamily, displaying a semi-aquatic lifestyle. We assembled the whole genome of this species using Illumina, a short-read sequencing approach. The whole genome sequencing outputs were assembled using the Abyss2 de novo approach. The raw data and assembled genome are publicl...

The Russian desman (Desmana moschata) is a rare member of the Desmaninae subfamily, displaying a semi-aquatic lifestyle. We assembled the whole genome of this species using Illumina, a short-read sequencing approach. The whole genome sequencing outputs were assembled using the Abyss2 de novo approach. The raw data and assembled genome are publicly...

Empty but suitable habitat exists for many of the world's terrestrial large carnivores, yet reintroductions are often considered difficult. In the Russian Far East, orphaned Amur tiger ( Panthera tigris altaica ) cubs were brought into captivity but prepared for re‐release into the wild. We addressed 2 questions after reintroduction: 1) were indivi...

The north periphery of the Persian leopard range is situated in the Russian Caucasus, where leopards were exterminated by humans in the 1950s. Currently, the Persian leopard is returning to the Caucasus Mountain area and relevant habitat suitability for this species is in demand. In this study, we have mapped the habitats in the Chechen Republic ar...

We utilized a two-phase analysis using deep convolutional neural networks (DCNN) to create an automated technology that enabled us to detect and count saigas (Saiga tatarica) in satellite images with a resolution of 0.3–0.5 m/pixel (Eros-B 2012; 2013 and Beijing KA 2022 satellites). In the first phase, the satellite image is automatically divided i...

Data were obtained on levels of six heavy metals - mercury, cadmium, lead, cooper, manganese and nickel in different tissues of Atlantic and Pacific walruses.

Walrus occupy a high trophic level in the Arctic ecosystem, while being an important source of food for the native population of the Arctic coast. The concentrations of six heavy metals—mercury, cadmium, lead, copper, manganese, and nickel in the skin of Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) and in the skin, heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and...

The possibility of comprehensive characterization of tissue contamination of living organisms by organic pollutants in the course of a single analysis by combining GC and high resolution accurate mass-spectrometry has been demonstrated. Samples of adipose tissue from two Caspian seals (Pusa caspica Gmelin, 1788), found dead in 2020 on the shores of...

The Barents–Kara region is significantly affected by climate change, leading to the rapid degradation of habitats and the infiltration of new potential infectious agents dangerous to pagophilic species, particularly the polar bear (Ursus maritimus). For individuals captured in the Barents Sea and the Kara Sea in 2018–2021, the physiological status...

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...

The allelic diversity of exon 2 (DQB gene) and exon 3 (DRB gene) of major histocompatibility complex class II was studied for the first time in two species of the landlocked pinnipeds, Baikal (N = 79) and Caspian (N = 32) seals, and these were in compared with the widespread Arctic species, the ringed seal (N = 13). The analysis of the second exon...

Background The paper presents novel findings of little-known species of rodents, the blind tree mice Typhlomys in Son La Province, Vietnam, with the first morphological and genetic characterisation and taxonomical description of the new species, T. taxuansis. The study also summarises all the data available on this genus species distribution, museu...

В работе произведены исследования состояния биотопов и фауны крупных и средних млекопитающих как природно-экологических комплексов, полученные данные проанализированы в свете оценки их пригодности для переднеазиатского леопарда. Основная цель – определить пригодные местообитания и экологическую емкость среды для восстановления переднеазиатского лео...

Measuring hair cortisol concentrations is a widespread method of hormonal research in natural populations. In particular, it has increasingly been used for assessing the chronic physiological stress over long time periods. This study showed for the first time the experience of using hair of Baikal seals to examine their hormonal status. We collecte...

Snow leopards (Panthera uncia) inhabit the mountainous regions of High Asia, which experienced serial glacial contraction and expansion during climatic cycles of the Pleistocene. The corresponding impacts of glacial vicariance may have alternately promoted or constrained genetic differentiation to shape the distribution of genetic lineages and popu...

To develop a method for monitoring the condition of Baikal seals (Pusa sibirica Gmelin 1788) and to count their numbers in summer haul-outs using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in July–August 2020 and 2021 on the islands of Tonkiy, Kruglyi and Dolgiy (the Ushkany Islands archipelago), visual surveys and surveys with UAVs were carried out. The max...

Abstract We utilized a two-phase analysis using deep convolutional neural networks (DCNN) to create an automated technology that enabled us to detect and count saigas (Saiga tatarica) in satellite images with a resolution of 0.3–0.5 m/pixel (Eros-B 2012; 2013 and Beijing KA 2022 satellites). In the first phase, the satellite image is automatically...

The movements of three mature beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) tagged by satellite transmitters off the western coast of Kamchatka Peninsula were analyzed. Before the formation of ice cover, beluga whales remained off the western coast of Kamchatka and in the Shelikhov Bay. As ice was formed and spread, beluga whales used increasingly deeper w...

Beluga whales play a critical role in the subsistence economies and cultural heritage of Indigenous communities across the Arctic, yet the effects of Indigenous hunting on beluga whales remain unknown. Here, we integrate paleogenomics, genetic simulations, and stable δ ¹³ C and δ ¹⁵ N isotope analysis to investigate 700 y of beluga subsistence hunt...

Tissue contamination with persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in organisms proved possible to comprehensively characterize in a single test by combining gas chromatography and high-resolution accurate mass spectrometry. Adipose tissue samples were collected from two Caspian seals (Pusa caspica Gmelin, 1788) found dead on the Caspian Sea shore in 2...

We respond to the note by Russo et al. “Of greater noctule “migration” from Russia to Italy: a comment on Vasenkov et al. (2023)”, which comments on our paper “Vasenkov DA, Vasiliev NS, Sidorchuk NV, Rozhnov VV (2023) Autumn migration of greater noctule bat (Nyctalus lasiopterus): through countries and over mountains to a new migration flight recor...

The dataset contains depth, bottom temperature and bottom salinity for each station obtained by CTD casts (RBR Concerto 3 in 2020, and CastAway CTD in 2021) during the RV Ivan Petrov expeditions from Franz Josef Land archipelago in Summer-Autumn 2020 and 2021.

The dataset contains list of macrobenthic taxa collected with grab samples from Franz Josef Land archipelago in Summer-Autumn 2020 and 2021 (Van-Veen or Okean-0.1 benthic grabs with a capture area of 0.1 m2) with wet biomass for each species. Sampling was conducted during the RV Ivan Petrov expeditions. A total of 65 benthic grab stations were stud...

The dataset contains list of macrobenthic taxa collected with grab samples from Franz Josef Land archipelago in Summer-Autumn 2020 and 2021 (Van-Veen or Okean-0.1 benthic grabs with a capture area of 0.1 m2) with abundance for each species. Sampling was conducted during the RV Ivan Petrov expeditions. A total of 65 benthic grab stations were studie...

Beluga whales play a critical role in the subsistence economies and cultural heritage of Indigenous communities across the Arctic, yet the effects of Indigenous hunting on beluga whales remains unknown. Here, we integrate paleogenomics and stable δ ¹³ C and δ ¹⁵ N isotope analysis to investigate 700 years of beluga subsistence hunting in the Macken...

An Erratum to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0012496623050125

Aiming to answer the question of how the rest-activity cycle and subcutaneous temperature change with a decrease in ambient temperature, we studied the following species of predatory mammals: domestic cats (Felis catus, n = 4), Far Eastern forest (Amur) cats (Prionailurus bengalensis euptilura, n = 3), Eurasian lynxes (Lynx lynx, n = 3), sables (Ma...

The Franz Josef Land population of the Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) remains one of the least studied. Here, 26 walruses were tagged with satellite-linked radio transmitters in Franz Josef Land archipelago and Victoria Island in summer-autumn 2020 and 2021 to assess movements patterns and area utilization. In addition , 65 grab sampl...

We compared the winter – early spring daily activity patterns of GPS-collared wolves in several habitats: the boreal mountain forest-tundra of the Kolyma, the deciduous forests of the East European Plain in the Kaluga region and the steppe of the northwestern Caspian region, all of them in Russia. Daily movements and average speed in the boreal mou...

Clinical blood analysis is considered not only a method of assessing the health status of individuals, but also their fitness and welfare, although the interpretation of the obtained data is complicated by the combined influence of various factors. For most wild carnivore species, there is insufficient information about the effect of environmental...

We analyzed population genetic structure of polar bear (Ursus maritimus) in the Russian Arctic based on samples collected in 2010–2021. For 93 adult individuals, we report polymorphism of 17 nuclear DNA microsatellite loci and a 610 nucleotide long mtDNA D-loop fragment. High genetic diversity of nuclear DNA and low nucleotide diversity π for mitoc...

The saiga population of the North-West Pre-Caspian region is currently isolated from other saiga populations. It inhabits the south-western parts of Astrakhan province (Limansky District) and territories in the east of the Republic of Kalmykia (Yashkulsky and Chernozemelsky Districts). According to experts, despite a wide range of protective measur...

Snow leopards (Panthera uncia) serve as an umbrella species whose conservation benefits their high-elevation Asian habitat. Their numbers are believed to be in decline due to numerous Anthropogenic threats; however, their conservation is hindered by numerous knowledge gaps. They are the least studied genetically of all big cat species and little is...

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...

Polymorphism of nine microsatellite loci in the Sikhote-Alin tiger population was analyzed in the modern and recent historical periods, using blood, excrement, and museum bone samples. Tests for excess heterozygosity to determine whether the population went through a period of low abundance and a low value of the Garza–Williamson coefficient indica...

Population genetic structure in polar bear (Ursus maritimus) from model areas in the Russian Arctic is considered based on materials collected in the period 2010–2021. Data on polymorphism of 17 microsatellite loci of nuclear DNA and a 610 nucleotide long mtDNA D-loop fragment were obtained for 93 animals. For the studied sample of adult polar bear...

For the first time, using GPS-GSM trackers, long-term seasonal flights of greater noctule bat (Nyctalus lasiopterus) from summer habitats in Russia to wintering areas in Europe are recorded. One of the seasonal migratory flights is a record distance for bats (2515 km). The maximum daily flight was 445 km. One of the animals abruptly changed the dir...

The aim of this research was to assess the current abundance of the Caspian seal population on ice in the Russian part of the North Caspian using instrumental methods of aerial survey in the infrared and optical ranges using a manned aircraft and UAV. The main method of the research was a multispectral aerial survey, the essence of which is to surv...

For the first time, using GPS-GSM trackers, long-term seasonal flights of greater noctule bat (Nyctalus lasiopterus) from summer habitats in Russia to wintering areas in Europe have been recorded. One of the seasonal migratory flights is a record distance for bats (2515 km). The maximum daily flight was 445 km. One of the animals abruptly changed t...

Nucleotide sequence diversity in two mtDNA loci (the cytochrome b gene and the control region) was for the first time studied in the Baikal seal Pusa sibirica with the use of several spatiotemporal samples. The population was found to be evolutionarily young and to be in the stage of demographic expansion.

The relationship between postures, sleep stages and eye state was established in two species of deer, the Indian sambar (Rusa unicolor) and sika deer (Cervus nippon), based on video recording. In both species, the state of rest or behavioral sleep was recorded in the sternal position, holding the head above the ground, and in the lateral position,...

The paper presented novel findings of little-known species of rodents the Tonkin limestone rat Tonkinomys daovantieni in Cao Bang Province, Vietnam with its morphological and genetic characterisation. The study summarises data on the distribution of this data-deficient species, available museum collections, genetic samples, information on its taxon...

Впервые проанализировано аллельное разнообразие гена DQB главного комплекса гистосовместимости (MHC) у атлантического моржа из европейской части Арктики - с лежбищ на архипелаге Земля Франца-Иосифа и у северной оконечности архипелага Новая Земля. Показано, что по данному локусу между двумя исследованными лежбищами имеются существенные различия. Одн...

The polymorphism of 9 microsatellite loci of the Sikhote-Alin tiger population in the modern and recent historical period was analyzed using blood, excrement, and museum bone samples. Tests for a population going through a period of low abundance in the analysis of excess heterozygotes and a low value of the Garza-Williamson coefficient indicate a...

The relationship between postures, sleep stages and eye state was established in two species of deer, the Indian sambar (Rusa unicolor) and sika deer (Cervus nippon), based on video recording. In both species, the state of rest or behavioral sleep was recorded in the sternal position, holding the head above the ground, and in the lateral position,...

The study presents the status and diversity of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I genes in the Far Eastern leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis). 20 alleles of MHC genes were obtained from 11 samples in total, 19 alleles were described for the first time for the species. A high diversity of alleles is shown at the level of individuals as...

Observations were conducted from the R/V Akademik Mstislav Keldysh in the Drake Passage, the vicinities of the Antarctic Peninsula, the Scotia Sea, and the northern Weddell Sea during two cruises in January–early March 2020 (cruise 79) and during a single cruise in January–February 2022 (cruise 87). The data make it possible to assess the number of...

For the first time, the diversity of nucleotide sequences of different mtDNA loci (the cytochrome b gene and the control region) of the Baikal seal (Pusa sibirica) based on of several spatio-temporal samples was studied. It is shown that in the evolutionary time scale the population formed recently and is in the stage of demographic expansion.

The Polar bear’s seropositivity from the Barents Sea subpopulation to a number of pathogens was analyzed: Canine distemper virus, Herpes simplex virus, Parvovirus, Toxoplasma, Trichinella (Trichinella sp.), Mycoplasma (Mycoplasma sp.), Candida (Candida sp.) and Chlamydia (Chlamydia sp.). Seropositive animals have been identified for Canine distempe...

Simple Summary Polar bears are native inhabitants of the Arctic ice. An increase in the ice-free season forces polar bears ashore and prompts them to invade human settlements and feed on human waste. Since their usual food objects (seals)differ extremely from human waste, the enforced diet shifts are considered to be stressful and may lead to intes...

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...

For the first time, information is provided on the size of the home range of Siberian forest reindeer (Rangifer tarandus valentinae) of the Altai-Sayan population of Kuznetsk Alatau, the minimum distance that the deer passes per day, their changes, and changes of habitats during the annual cycle. Possible reasons for the cyclical use of the habitat...

Проведено исследование состава липидов в разных тканях серых китов Eschrichtius robustus, добытых на Чукотке. Сравнивались липидные профили пяти типов тканей с разной функциональной нагрузкой (кожа, мышцы, печень, наружный и внутренний слой жира). Выявлены отдельные классы ли-пидов, вносящие наибольший вклад в дискриминацию между разными тканями. П...

14–18 марта 2022 г. в Москве, в Институте проблем экологии и эволюции им. А.Н. Северцова РАН прошла научная конференция “Млекопитающие в меняющемся мире: актуальные проблемы териологии” в рамках XI Съезда Териологического общества при РАН, посвященная 300-летию Российской академии наук и 50-летию организации Териологического общества при РАН. Более...

The history of the creation of the Theriological Society at the Russian Academy of Sciences and its activities for 50 years are considered.

Although the home range and habitat selection of animal species is among the fundamental pieces of biological information collected by research projects during recent decades, published information on the snow leopard (Panthera uncia) home range is limited. The Altai Mountains of central Asia contain some of the largest and most important remaining...

For the first time, information is provided on the size of the home range of the Siberian forest reindeer (Rangifer tarandus valentinae) of the Altai-Sayan population of the Kuznetsk Alatau, the minimum distance that the deer passes per day, their changes and changes of habitats during the annual cycle. Possible reasons for the cyclical use of the...

Aim. When assessing the degree of transformation and openness of the territory for invasive species, a description of the current state of their biological diversity should be made taking into account the diversity index of adventitious species. Discussion. The problem of intensification of biological invasions has now become one of the world's mos...

Simple Summary The Amur tiger has a status of being endangered on the world’s IUCN red list. The northwestern part of its range is situated in Russia and China, where tigers were killed by humans 50–70 years ago. To restore the tiger population within the historical range, firstly we estimated the condition of the environment there. We assessed sui...

Aichi Target 11 committed governments to protect ≥17% of their terrestrial environments by 2020, yet it was rarely achieved, raising questions about the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework goal to protect 30% by 2030. Asia is a challenging continent for such targets, combining high biodiversity with dense human populations. Here, we evaluated a...

A noninvasive instrumental method of classification the behavior of the beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) based on the parameters of movement was evaluated. Motor activity was characterized by the mean and standard deviation of the beluga tail fluke acceleration. It was found that, using the "decision tree" algorithm, at least two types of belug...

The long-term survival of the Persian leopard Panthera pardus tulliana requires concerted regional conservation efforts. Understanding occurrence patterns and population trends of the leopard and its prey are key prerequisite for planning conservation interventions and ensuring their effectiveness. However, systematic monitoring for these purposes...

A reintroduction project has started in Russia in 2007 with the goal to create a Per- sian leopard population nucleus in the northern part of its historical range, where the species disappeared due to direct and indirect human influence in mid-20th cen- tury. A small resident group should give opportunity of breeding also for leopards migrating nat...

Persian leopards Panthera pardus tulliana, once widespread across Western and Central Asia, currently only occupy a fraction of their historical range. Identifying areas for restoring, connecting, and expanding extant populations is therefore important to safeguard this subspecies. Here, we used a large dataset of Persian leopard occurrences from 1...

The aim of this research was to assess the scale and determine the possible reasons of the death of Caspian seals (Pusa caspica), that were washed up by a storm on the coast of the Republic of Dagestan in early December 2020. The corpses of seals were found on the Dagestan coast from the mouth of the Terek River to the southern outskirts of Derbent...

New data on the diet of the wild reindeer (Rangifer tarandus pearsoni) on the Yuzhny Island of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago in the summer are presented. The coprological method shows the predominance of vascular plants in the studied samples of reindeer feces. The selectivity of reindeer in relation to pasture habitats and forage groups of plants...

Space-based tracking technology using low-cost miniature tags is now delivering data on fine-scale animal movement at near-global scale. Linked with remotely sensed environmental data, this offers a biological lens on habitat integrity and connectivity for conservation and human health; a global network of animal sentinels of environmental change.

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...

Studying animals’ short-distance and seasonal migrations has become a focus of attention in recent decades. Among the goals of such research is identifying potential negative impacts on this important ecological process, in order to develop strategies to prevent and mitigate risks. Migration routes which animals have used for many centuries are oft...

The pattern of sleep and circadian activity of the lesser mouse-deer (Tragulus kanchil) that is the smallest (body mass between 1.5 and 2.2 kg) representative of the basal group (Tragulidae) of even-toed ungulates which evolved 40-50 Ma were studied. In naturalistic conditions, a total of 30 days of full-day video of the animal behavior and 15 days...

The mouse-deer or chevrotains are the smallest of the ungulates and ruminants. They are characterized by a number of traits which are considered plesiomorphic for the Artiodactyla order. The objective of this study was to examine sleep in the lesser mouse-deer (Tragulus kanchil), which is the smallest in this group (body mass <2.2 kg). Electroencep...

The Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus), occupying tundra habitats with highly variable resource distribution, is a convenient research model for studying the impact of food availability on space use. Previous studies have shown that the Arctic fox home ranges can vary from 4 to 125 km2. In areas with abundant food resources, home range sizes are smaller a...