%0 Journal Article %A ZHAO Xianxian %A LI Bang %A LIN Gonghua %A MA Wanjun %A JU Hailan %A SU Jianping %A ZHANG Tongzuo %T Molecular identification of voles in the east of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau %D 2017 %R 10.16829/j.slxb.201701002 %J ACTA THERIOLOGICA SINICA %P 44-52 %V 37 %N 1 %X Using mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (Cyt b) as the molecular marker combined with phylogenetic methods (Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference) and genetic distance statistics (Jukes and Cantor's distance), we analyzed the species composition and geographical distribution of voles in the east of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. We sampled 189 voles from 16 localities and sequenced the complete Cyt b sequences (1 143 bp) of these individuals. A total of 248 variable sites and 65 haplotypes were detected. The topology of Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference trees were basically consistent, clustering the 65 haplotypes into three groups (G1-G3), respectively forming three monophyletic groups with known Microtus limnophilus, Neodon fuscus and N. Irene, and with very high bootstrap support values (100%). The haplotype based pairwise genetic distances within G1, G2, G3 were respectively 0.09%-3.04%, 0.09%-0.70% and 0.18%-1.95%; while between G1 and M. limnophilus, between G2 and N. fuscus and between G3 and N. Irene were 0.61%-2.49%, 0.53%-0.97% and 1.77%-2.22%, respectively. Based on phylogenetic and genetic distance analyses, these voles were identified as three species: M. limnophilus (n = 135), N. fuscus (n = 30) and N. irene (n = 24). M. limnophilus was most widely distributed (10 localities) while N. fuscus (4 localities) and N. irene (3 localities) were confined to small ranges. The overlapping area of these three species was small. Only one locality (HN) was inhabited by M. limnophilus and N. fuscus at the same time. Our results showed that there were at least three vole species distributed in the study regions. They were well defined by molecular marker and had certain regularity in the geographical distribution patterns. Our results provide fundamental information of vole distribution in the east of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau as well as an example for molecular identification of rodents in the study regions. %U http://www.mammal.cn/EN/10.16829/j.slxb.201701002