ALLOZYMIC AND MORPHOLOGICAL VARIABILITY I N 3 SYNTOPIC SPECIES OF WOOD MICE FROM THE SUBGENUS SYLVAEMUS (RODENTIA, MURIDAE, APODEMUS) FROM DAGHESTAN

Allozymic and morphological variability in three syntopic species of A podemus (Sylvaemus) from Daghestan were studied by the means of protei n electrophoresis (28 loci) and discriminant analysis of craniometrica l Characters (16 measurements). Similar high levels of genetic variabi lity in the studied species were revealed, possible causes of this phe nomenon are discussed. The correlation of the variation tn some morpho logical characters with ecological consequences of syntopy are analyze d. The simple protein markers (nucleoside-phosphorylase, hemoglobin) f or the identification of all the species of Sylvaemus in sympatric zon es and the keys to the species of wood mice from Daghestan are given. The differences in the structure of auditory ossicles of these species are described.