Population Structure of Sable in the Baikal Mountain Land: Analysis of Genetic and Phenotypic Traits

The genetic and phenotypic structure (according to the fur color) of 14 sable samples from the Baikal mountain land (BML) has been studied by analyzing 257 animals for 11 microsatellite loci and evaluating over 12 000 pelts with respect to seven standard color categories. It has been found that the population structure of sable in the region is heterogeneous both phenotypically and genetically. An isolated population group of sable with dark fur inhabits Zabaikalsky krai (Uletovsky, Petrovsk-Zabaikalsky, and Krasnochikoysky districts). The Khamar-Daban Ridge in the south of Lake Baikal is inhabited by a sable population with a high genetic diversity and the lightest fur color in the study region, which is most likely due to its contacts with the East Sayan population. The other BML samples have a relatively high genetic diversity and intermediate parameters of fur color, which may result from their large-scale intraregional translocations and migrations. The results of comparative tests suggest an indirect correlation between the phenotypic and genetic structures in samples from at least seven sable populations inhabiting the study region.