ESTIMATION OF MICROEVOLUTIONARY TRENDS IN MOOSE (ALCES-ALCES) POPULATION OF THE OKSKY RESERVE

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.