Phylogeography of the Steppe Bat, Myotis davidii (Chiroptera; Vespertilionidae) in Eastern Part of the Species Range

Phylogeography of the steppe bat, Myotis davidii in the eastern part of its broad range, was explored for the first time using mitochondrial genetic markers. The presence of two main intraspecific clades, Eastern and Western, was confirmed. Definite inner structure inside the Eastern group was shown. We discovered genetic diversity hotspot in northwestern Mongolia and neighboring regions, where highly divergent haplotypes are found. Presumably, this can be explained by Pleistocene refugial structure shaped by the ridges of the Mongolian Altai. The haplogroups from the southeast of Mongolia and Transbaikalia found to be related, while populations of the Kerulen valley located between these regions carry more distant haplotypes.