Characteristic of Genetic Structure of Snow Sheep (Ovis nivicola lydekkeri) of the Verkhoyansk Mountain Chain
Genetic characteristics of the allele pool of four groups of Yakut snow sheep subspecies (O. nivicola lydekkeri), inhabiting various parts of the Verkhoyansk Mountain Range such as Kharaulakh Ridge, Orulgan Ridge, ridges of the Central Verkhoyansk, Suntar-Khayata Ridge, was conducted. Fragment analysis using 17 microsatellite loci was carried out in ABI 3131xl genetic analyzer. Significant heterozygote deficiency was detected in all investigated populations of snow sheep. Differentiation of the studied groups in accordance to their geographical origin was revealed.