GENETIC MARKERS FOR STUDYING CURRENT DISTRIBUTION AREA AND POPULATION STRUCTURE OF THE SABLE (MARTES ZIBELLINA L.)
Three types of genetic markers (restriction fragments of cytochrome b mtDNA gene, SSR and ISSR) for the study of genetic variability in the sable (M. zibellina) within geographic range were proposed. mtDNA haplotypes of different subspecies of the sable were described. Haplotypes of eastern sable M. z. princeps, which was introduced in the 20th century are rare in the gene pool of modern sable populations of Western Siberia. Haplotype diversity in the west siberian sable (M. z. zibellina) is high due to introgressive hybridization with the pine marten M. martes. Nuclear genetic markers of hybrids (M. zibellina M. fmrtes) are more similar to the sable than the pine marten.