Pn. Korablev et al., ESTIMATION OF MICROEVOLUTIONARY TRENDS IN MOOSE (ALCES-ALCES) POPULATION OF THE OKSKY RESERVE, Zoologiceskij zurnal, 75(8), 1996, pp. 1259-1272
Two series of skulls collected at the Oksky Reserve with the interval
of 30 years (n(1)-38; n(2)-43) have been examined. The series were ana
lysed using the morphological-physiological method (degree of affectio
n by parodontosis), the craniometric method (comparison of avenge valu
es, analysis of fluctuating asymmetry and deviation from correlation b
etween linear characteristics) and the phenetic method (degree and str
ucture of intrapopulation deversity, fluctuating asymmetry, series sim
ilarity). Dimensional characteristics and variation of craniological i
ndicators attest that during the lifetime of 14 animal generations the
morphological and phenotypic features of the population don't undergo
detectable changes despite intensive demographical processes includin
g reduction and raising their numbers. At the same time a consistent c
omparison of two series from the Oksky Reserve with the series from th
e collection of the Prioksko-Terrasny Reserve shows that the more nume
rous and dense moose population of Moscow district influences the Oksk
y moose population. The initial originality of the Oksky moose reflect
ing in a relatively high frequency of marking phenes in levelled due t
o the exchange of genetic information between the groups compared. The
Oka River is not the perfect ecological barrier though it considerabl
y slows down migration of animals.