New record of Microtus mystacinus in eastern Kazakhstan: phylogeographical considerations

The Eastern European vole (Microtus myslacinus) is an arvicoline rodent distributed across northern and eastern Europe, the Balkans, Turkey, Armenia, NW and N Iran, Russia as far east as the Tobol River in W Siberia, and W and N Kazakhstan. We present a novel records from eastern Kazakhstan (the village of Dzhambul - 49 degrees 14'21.3N, 86 degrees 18'29.9E and the village of Sekisovka - 50 degrees 21'9.18N, 82 degrees 35'46.5E) based on mtDNA and we discuss implications of this findings on biogeography of eastern Kazakhstan populations. Marine Isotope Stage 11 is considered an important period for the diversification of the arvalis species group. In the context of our study, it is important to analyse genetically discontinuous Siberian populations, and the current distribution of M. mystacinus in new localities in eastern Kazakhstan.