Spasskaya N.N., Pavlinov I.Ya., Sharko F.S., Boulygina E.S., Tsygankova S.V., Nedoluzhko A.V., Boeskorov G.G., Mashchenko E.N. 2021. Morphometric and genetic analyses of diversity of the Lena horse (Equus lenensis Russanov, 1968; Mammalia: Equidae) // Russian J. Theriol. Vol.20. No.1. P.82–95 [in English].
Natalia N. Spasskaya (corresponding author) [equusnns@mail.ru], I.Ya. Pavlinov [ipvl2008@mail.ru] Zoological Museum of Lomonosov Moscow State University, Bolshaya Nikitskaya Str. 6, 125009 Moscow, Russia; Fedor S. Sharko [fedosic@gmail.com] Institute of Bioengineering, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071 Moscow, Russia; National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute”, Akademika Kurchatova Sq. 1, 123098 Moscow, Russia; Eugenia S. Boulygina, Svetlana V. Tsygankova, National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute”, Akademika Kurchatova Sq. 1, 123098 Moscow, Russia; Artem V. Nedoluzhko [nedoluzhko@gmail.com], Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Nord University, 8049 Bodø, Norway; Gennady G. Boeskorov [gboeskorov@mail.ru], Academy of Sciences of Sakha (Yakutia) Republic, Prospect Lenina 33, 677007 Yakutsk, Russia; Evgeny N. Mashchenko [evmash@mail.ru], Borissiak Paleontological Institute Russian Academy of Sciences, Profsojuznaya St., 123, 117647 Moscow, Russia; Academy of Sciences of Sakha (Yakutia) Republic, Prospect Lenina 33, 677007 Yakutsk, Russia.
doi: 10.15298/rusjtheriol.20.1.09
ABSTRACT. A pilot study of E. lenensis was carried out based on a small sample using a) standard morphometrics of the axial skull, mandible, the upper and lower cheek teeth; b) geometric morphometrics of the enamel crown patterns of the 1st upper and lower molars; c) molecular phylogenetic analysis with the complete mitochondrial genome sequencing. A certain morphological heterogeneity of E. lenensis by mostly dental and partly cranial characters was revealed. The study shows a necessity to reconsider taxonomy of some records of Pleistocene horses in North East Siberia, and to carry out large-scale comprehensive revision of these materials using new approaches.
KEY WORDS: Equus lenensis, Pleistocene, North East Eurasia, morphology, geometric morphometrics.