Features of the chromosome set of representatives of smoothnosed bats of the North Caucasus

Aim. The aim of this work was to study the chromosome set of some representatives of smooth-nosed bats of the North Caucasus.

Material and Methods. Various research methods were used to achieve this goal, including that of dried preparations (the main method for obtaining chromosomal preparations) and that of constructing karyograms.

Results. A comparative analysis of the karyological data of 11 species of smooth-nosed bats of the North Caucasus was undertaken and the karyological characteristics of the species accepted in the latest reports on the fauna of Russia and the Caucasus were clarified. The similarity of G -bands in large pairs of meta- and submetacentric chromosomes in Myotis blythi, Myotis mystacinus, Pipistrellus pipistrellus, Pipistrellus kuhli and Vepertilio murinus with bands in small and medium-sized acrocentric chromosomes such as in Eptesicus seotinus may indicate the evolution of the karyotype of the first species by Robertsonian translocation, i.e. compounds of acrocentric chromosomes of Eptesicus serotinus in various combinations. When comparing karyotypes in the family Vespertilionidae, it was found that the karyotype of Eptesicus serotinus is "archaic" (2n=50, NFa=48). With the help of karyological data, the authors composed schemes of phylogenetic relationships of genera in the family Vespertilionidae, which differ to a certain extent from the schemes compiled by taxonomists for representatives of this family.

Conclusions. Based on the results obtained, we can conclude that the karyotype of Eptesicus serotinus is the most primitive among the representatives of the order of bats. The primary role in the evolution of this group was played by Robertsonian rearrangements and pericentric inversions (reduction of NFa and 2n from 50 to 38).

1. Bovey R. Les chromosomes des Chiropteres et des Insectivores. Rev. Suisse de zool., 1949, vol. 56, pp. 371468. DOI: 10.5962/bhl.part.117900

2. Vorontsov N.N., Radzhabli S.I., Volobuev V.T. [Comparative karyology of bats of the family Vespertilionidae (Chiroptera)]. In: Mlekopitayushchie (evolyutsiya, kariologiya, faunistika, sistematika) [Mammals (evolution, karyology, faunistics, taxonomy)]. Novosibirsk, 1969, pp. 15-18. (In Russian)

3. Baker R.J., Patton J.L. Karyotypes and karyotypic variation of North American vespertilionid bats. Journal of Mammalogy, 1967, vol. 48, iss. 2, pp. 270-286. DOI: 10.2307/1378031

4. Capanna E., Civitelli M.V. Chromosomal mechanisms in the evolution of chiropteran karyotype. Chromosomal tables of Chiroptera. Caryologia, 1970, vol. 23, iss. 1, pp. 79-111. DOI: 10.1080/00087114.1970.10796365

5. Rajabli S.I., Vorontsov N.N., Volobuev V.T. [Chromosomes of three species of bats of the genus Myotis]. In: Mlekopitayushchie (evolyutsiya, kariologiya, faunistika, sistematika) [Mammals (evolution, karyology, faunistics, taxonomy)]. Novosibirsk, 1969, pp. 12-13. (In Russian)

6. Strelkov P.P., Volobuev V.T. [Identity of karyotypes in the genus Myotis]. In: Mlekopitayushchie (evolyutsiya, kariologiya, faunistika, sistematika) [Mammals (evolution, karyology, faunistics, taxonomy)]. Novosibirsk, 1969, pp. 14-15. (In Russian)

7. Fattaev M.D. Sravnitel'naya kariologiya nekotorykh rukokrylykh Azerbaidzhana (tsitotaksonomicheskii i evolyutsionnyi aspekty). Avtoref. dis. kand. biol. nauk [Comparative karyology of some bats of Azerbaijan (cytotaxonomic and evolutionary aspects). Abstract of the dissertation of the candidate of biological sciences]. Baku, 1978, 25 p. (In Russian)

8. Capanna E., Givitelli M.V. Chromosomes di aclun spesidi microchirotteri itallani. Boll. Zool., 1964, vol. 31 (2), pp. 2130.

9. Dzuev R.I. Zakonomernosti khromosomnoi izmenchivosti mlekopitayushchikh Kavkaza. Dokt. diss. [Regularities of chromosomal variability of mammals of the Caucasus. Doctoral dissertation]. Yekaterinburg, 1995, pp. 3-577. (In Russian)

10. Dzuev R.I. Khromosomnye nabory mlekopitayushchikh Kavkaza [Chromosomal ponit mammalia de Caucasus]. Nalchik, Elbrus Publ., 1998, 256 p. (In Russian)

11. Hsu T.C., Benirschke K. An atlas of mammalian chromosomes. Berlin - Heidelberg and N.- York, 1968, vol. 2, pp. 1-196. DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4615-6424-9

12. Dulic B., Soldatovic B., Rimsa D. La formule chromosomique de la Noctula, Nyctalus noctula Schreber (Mammalia, Chiroptera). Experientia, 1967, vol. 23, pp. 945-946. DOI: 10.1007/BF02136239

13. Matthey R. Les chromosomes des Eutheriens retrospective et Nouvelles donnees. Mammalia, 1976, vol. 40, iss. 3, pp. 453-466. DOI: 10.1515/mamm.1976.40.3.453

14. Kuzyakin A.P. Letuchie myshi [Bats]. Moscow, Sovetskaya Nauka Publ., 1950, 443 p. (In Russian)

15. Bobrinskii N.A., Kuznetsov B.A., Kuzyakin A.P. Opredelitel' mlekopitayushchikh SSSR [Determinant of mammals of the USSR]. Moscow, Prosveshchenie Publ., 1965, 381p. (In Russian)

16. Tembotova F.A. Mlekopitayushchie Kavkaza i omyvayushchikh ego morei. Opredelitel' [Mammals of the Caucasus and its surrounding seas]. Moscow, KMK Publ., 2015, 352 p. (In Russian)