Intraspecific variation and taxonomy of northern pika Ochotona hyperborea (Mammalia, Lagomorpha)
Author
Lissovsky, Andrey A.
Author
Obolenskaya, Ekaterina V.
Author
Dokuchaev, Nikolai E.
Author
Okhlopkov, Innokentiy M.
text
Journal of Mammalogy
2021
2021-03-17
102
1
28
53
journal article
251529
10.1093/jmammal/gyaa150
55e6d348-bcaa-40c1-a8ce-8b8d7db25979
0022-2372
7850862
F5CB80FD-1704-4202-A419-7C833E8D4258
Ochotona hyperborea uralensis
Flerov, 1927
Ochotona hyperborea naumovi
Formozov et Yakhontov, 2003
Lectotype
(designated by).—
Ognev 1940
ZIN 16107
, adult female, skull and skin. Collected by
K. K. Flerov
10.8.1926
.
Paralectotypes
(
Baranova et al. 1981
):
ZIN 16106
,
16110
,
16111
.
Type locality (according to museum label).—
Eastern
slope of
Bolshoy Ural
,
Kharuta River
,
Synya River
tributary (
65.79°N
,
62.78°E
)
.
Description.—
Pikas of the B genetic lineage; northern acoustic race. The majority of the representatives of this subspecies (except for pikas from the Ural Mountains) have a clear V-shaped parietal suture (
Fig. 5B
). Accordingly, besides genetic identification, this subspecies can be distinguished from neighboring
O. h.
hyperborea
by the shape of the parietal suture of the skull (
Fig. 5
). There are differences in the shape of the frequency modulation curve of alarm call with another spatial neighbor—
O. h. cinereoflava
(
Fig. 6
).
Distribution.—
The subspecies has a notably disjunct distribution—the northern Ural Mountains, Putorana Plateau and adjacent uplands, as well as Yakutia between the middle and lower Aldan River basin (to the north of Aldan Plateau) and Lena River basin (right bank, to the north of the Buotama River), including mountains of the Verkhoyansk region. The provisional distribution border with
O. h.
hyperborea
corresponds roughly to the course of the Indigirka River. The case of mitochondrial introgression from the latter subspecies was found in the Adycha River basin. This subspecies should contact
O. h. cinereoflava
along the foothills of the Aldan Plateau and Dzhugdzhur Range, but an exact contact zone remains unknown.
Nomenclatural notes.—
Only two nominal taxa were described from the distribution range of this subspecies. The senior synonym appeared to be
Ochotona hyperborea uralensis
Flerov, 1927
, which described a specimen from the very remote isolate in Ural Mountains.