Adyghe Int. Sci. J. Vol. 25, No. 1. Pp. 30–44.
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.47928/1726-9946-2025-25-1-30-44
EDN: VBQYSU
ECOLOGY
| UDK 599.323.6 | Original Article |
Population variability of body and cranial parameters
of the Spalax microphthalmus Guld.
(Rodentia, Spalacidae)
in the conditions of the northern macroslope
of the Central Caucasus
Ruslan Ismagilovich Dzuev
Doctor of Biology, Professor of the Department of Biology, Geoecology and Molecular Genetic Foundations of Living Systems of the Institute of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after Kh. M. Berbekov, Full member of IAAS, Honored Scientist of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (360004, Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, Nalchik, 173, Chernyshevskogo st.), ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1851-9719 , bioekol@mail.ru
Asiat Khamishevna Sharibova
Engineer of the Department of Biology, Geoecology and Molecular Genetic Foundations of Living Systems of the Institute of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after Kh. M. Berbekov (360004, Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, Nalchik, 173, Chernyshevskogo st.), ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9394-9204, sharasiat@gmail.com
Timur Mukharbievich Bitsuev
Assistant of the Department of Applied Mathematics and Informatics of the Institute of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Researcher of the Laboratory of Intelligent Systems and Data Analysis, Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after Kh. M. Berbekov (360004, Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, Nalchik, 173, Chernyshevskogo st.), ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-4666-3356, timur_kbsu@mail.ru
Abstract. This article presents the population variability of 24 measurements of the body and skull of the mole rat in the conditions of the northern macroslope of the Central Caucasus (steppe zone and subalpine belt). To identify the intrapopulation variability of the studied parameters, a sex-based comparison was performed, no sexual dimorphism was found in both populations (t<1). The interpopulation variability of body and skull measurements also showed that there was no significant difference in almost all the parameters of the mole rat’s skull that we studied, exceptions are the length of the upper row of molars and the total length of the frontal and parietal bones. It was revealed that the most persistent craniometric characters to the conditions of existence of Spalax microphthalmus Guld. are condylobasal length of the skull, width of the tympanic bone, length of the lower row of molars, length of the upper row of molars, and length of the cerebral part.
Keywords: Central Caucasus, mountain population, mole rat, lowland population, body and skull parameters.
Funding. The work was not carried out within the framework of funds.
Competing interests. There are no conflicts of interest regarding authorship and publication.
Contribution and Responsibility. All authors contributed to this article. Authors are solely responsible for providing the final version of the article in print. The final version of the manuscript was approved by all authors.
For citation. Dzuev R. I., Sharibova A. Kh., Bitsuev T. M. Population variability of body and cranial parameters of the Spalax microphthalmus Guld. (Rodentia, Spalacidae) in the conditions of the northern macroslope of the Central Caucasus. Adyghe Int. Sci. J. 2025. Vol. 25, No. 1. Pp. 30–44.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.47928/1726-9946-2025-25-1-30-44; EDN: VBQYSU
Submitted 18.03.2025; approved after reviewing 25.03.2025; accepted for publication 25.03.2025.
© Dzuev R. I., Sharibova A. Kh., Bitsuev T. M., 2025
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