We measured and analyzed morphological taxonomic characters (external and cranial ones), micro-structures of hair, molecular taxonomic characters (mtDNA cytochrome b gene and control region sequences), and ecological characters of red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris coreae). Cranial characters and mtDNA ...
We measured and analyzed morphological taxonomic characters (external and cranial ones), micro-structures of hair, molecular taxonomic characters (mtDNA cytochrome b gene and control region sequences), and ecological characters of red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris coreae). Cranial characters and mtDNA control region sequences of red squirrel from China were also analyzed. In the comparison of morphological characters (external and cranial ones) of red squirrels from Cheongju and Yeongdong in Korea, red squirrel from two regions were not found to be different each other, and it is confirmed that these red squirrels belong to the subspecies of S. vulgaris coreae, as concluded by Jones and Johnson (1965). In the analyses with cranial characters of red squirrels from Korea and China, it was revealed that red squirrels from Korea is larger than ones from China, and that this result was different from the conclusion by Sidorowicz (1971), who regarded that red squirrels from Korea and China are the same subspecies of S. vulgaris manchuricus, but similar with the conclusion by Johnson and Jones (1965), who reported that they are the different subspecies. In the analyses with medulla and scale of hair of red squirrel from Korea, we found that in hair characters red squirrel from Korea are similar with red squirrel from Europe by Teerink (1991), and it was revealed that hair characters are not differentiated between these two subspecies. In the analyses of full sequences (1,058bp) of mtDNA control region, we obtained 21 haplotypes each from red squirrel in Korea and that in China, and variable sites were 119 of total 1,058bp (11.2%). Moreover, red squirrel from two regions were found not to be different in their sequence, and it was confirmed that red squirrel from two regions are one subspecies of S. vulgaris manchuricus, as classified by Sidorowicz (1971). In the comparison of mtDNA control region partial sequences (453bp) of red squirrel from Korea and China to those from Europe obtained from GenBank, there was no distinction among five subspecies from Europe and Asia, and it was revealed that the differences in molecular taxonomic characters were not accumulated among them. In the comparison of mtDNA cytochrome b gene partial sequences (712bp) of red squirrel from Korea in this study with those from Europe in GenBank, the variable sites were 5bp (0.70%), and no subgroups was revealed, and then it was concluded that the difference of molecular characters were not accumulated among them. We analyzed the ecological characters of red squirrel, and in the comparison with ecological characters in the former other studies, red squirrel mainly feed on seeds of a pine tree and nuts of Korean pine and walnut tree, but their diets varied according to their environmental situation. Moreover, red squirrel distributes widely in the forests from eastern Asia to western Europe, and in Korea it inhabits broad-leaved forests from north to south with the highest density in the mixed forests, which pine trees are dominant. The breeding season of red squirrel is from the end of April to the beginning of May, and red squirrel breeds average 3.5 offsprings in a brood. The young takes a birth without opening the eye, hair, and teeth, but it opens the eye at the age of 30 days and leaves the drey when it is 40 days old. The damage by red squirrel in Korea increases from the beginning of July, and the best method reducing it is to wrap the stem around by celluloid or zinc plate and to have enough distance between the trees. The best period for hunting to eliminate red squirrel is from middle of April to beginning of May. Hunting and trapping to reduce the damage by red squirrel do not cause any effect on maintaining the population numbers for the conservation of this species, but over-hunting may result in drastic reduction of population numbers, and it is necessary to control the population through continuous monitoring. The results based on morphological characters did not coincide with those based on molecular characters, indicating that morphological characters differentiated faster than molecular characters in red squirrel, because red squirrels dispersed northward after the last glaciation according to the expansion of the forest region, which is red squirrel's main habitat. Therefore, we concluded that the morphological characters are the important ones to classify red squirrel's subspecies classification, and it was confirmed that red squirrel from Korea is the different subspecies from red squirrel from China, as reported by Jones and Johnson (1965). We compared hair medula and scale in red squirrel from Korea and Europe, mtDNA control region partial sequences (453bp) among three subspecies of red squirrel from Europe and two subspecies of red squirrel from Korea and China, and mtDNA cytochrome b gene partial sequence between red squirrel from Korea and that of Europe, and it was revealed that there was little difference in their morphological and molecular characters among these subspecies of red squirrel. This results indicates that red squirrel is monotypic one, as reported by Corbet (1978). But Sidorowicz (1971) recognized 18 subspecies based on morphological characters, and we had concluded above that morphological ones are important for the classification of subspecies in red squirrel. So, we support the Sidorowicz's classification, but it is necessary to carry out numerical analyses using the specimens including all subspecies. However, I named red squirrels from Korea as Korean red squirrel because the present results clearly indicate red squirrels from Korea is a different subspecies from red squirrel from China. The means of the representative morphological characters of Korean red squirrel (S. vulgaris coreae Jones & Johnson 1965) are: body length, 222.41±12.31mm; tail length, 190.64±18.71mm; the greatest length of the skull, 53.08±1.21㎜, the length of nasal bones, 15.60±0.52㎜; the width of the brain case, 22.68±0.57㎜; the greatest length of mandible, 37.31±0.91㎜; and the height of mandible, 19.21±0.85㎜.
We measured and analyzed morphological taxonomic characters (external and cranial ones), micro-structures of hair, molecular taxonomic characters (mtDNA cytochrome b gene and control region sequences), and ecological characters of red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris coreae). Cranial characters and mtDNA control region sequences of red squirrel from China were also analyzed. In the comparison of morphological characters (external and cranial ones) of red squirrels from Cheongju and Yeongdong in Korea, red squirrel from two regions were not found to be different each other, and it is confirmed that these red squirrels belong to the subspecies of S. vulgaris coreae, as concluded by Jones and Johnson (1965). In the analyses with cranial characters of red squirrels from Korea and China, it was revealed that red squirrels from Korea is larger than ones from China, and that this result was different from the conclusion by Sidorowicz (1971), who regarded that red squirrels from Korea and China are the same subspecies of S. vulgaris manchuricus, but similar with the conclusion by Johnson and Jones (1965), who reported that they are the different subspecies. In the analyses with medulla and scale of hair of red squirrel from Korea, we found that in hair characters red squirrel from Korea are similar with red squirrel from Europe by Teerink (1991), and it was revealed that hair characters are not differentiated between these two subspecies. In the analyses of full sequences (1,058bp) of mtDNA control region, we obtained 21 haplotypes each from red squirrel in Korea and that in China, and variable sites were 119 of total 1,058bp (11.2%). Moreover, red squirrel from two regions were found not to be different in their sequence, and it was confirmed that red squirrel from two regions are one subspecies of S. vulgaris manchuricus, as classified by Sidorowicz (1971). In the comparison of mtDNA control region partial sequences (453bp) of red squirrel from Korea and China to those from Europe obtained from GenBank, there was no distinction among five subspecies from Europe and Asia, and it was revealed that the differences in molecular taxonomic characters were not accumulated among them. In the comparison of mtDNA cytochrome b gene partial sequences (712bp) of red squirrel from Korea in this study with those from Europe in GenBank, the variable sites were 5bp (0.70%), and no subgroups was revealed, and then it was concluded that the difference of molecular characters were not accumulated among them. We analyzed the ecological characters of red squirrel, and in the comparison with ecological characters in the former other studies, red squirrel mainly feed on seeds of a pine tree and nuts of Korean pine and walnut tree, but their diets varied according to their environmental situation. Moreover, red squirrel distributes widely in the forests from eastern Asia to western Europe, and in Korea it inhabits broad-leaved forests from north to south with the highest density in the mixed forests, which pine trees are dominant. The breeding season of red squirrel is from the end of April to the beginning of May, and red squirrel breeds average 3.5 offsprings in a brood. The young takes a birth without opening the eye, hair, and teeth, but it opens the eye at the age of 30 days and leaves the drey when it is 40 days old. The damage by red squirrel in Korea increases from the beginning of July, and the best method reducing it is to wrap the stem around by celluloid or zinc plate and to have enough distance between the trees. The best period for hunting to eliminate red squirrel is from middle of April to beginning of May. Hunting and trapping to reduce the damage by red squirrel do not cause any effect on maintaining the population numbers for the conservation of this species, but over-hunting may result in drastic reduction of population numbers, and it is necessary to control the population through continuous monitoring. The results based on morphological characters did not coincide with those based on molecular characters, indicating that morphological characters differentiated faster than molecular characters in red squirrel, because red squirrels dispersed northward after the last glaciation according to the expansion of the forest region, which is red squirrel's main habitat. Therefore, we concluded that the morphological characters are the important ones to classify red squirrel's subspecies classification, and it was confirmed that red squirrel from Korea is the different subspecies from red squirrel from China, as reported by Jones and Johnson (1965). We compared hair medula and scale in red squirrel from Korea and Europe, mtDNA control region partial sequences (453bp) among three subspecies of red squirrel from Europe and two subspecies of red squirrel from Korea and China, and mtDNA cytochrome b gene partial sequence between red squirrel from Korea and that of Europe, and it was revealed that there was little difference in their morphological and molecular characters among these subspecies of red squirrel. This results indicates that red squirrel is monotypic one, as reported by Corbet (1978). But Sidorowicz (1971) recognized 18 subspecies based on morphological characters, and we had concluded above that morphological ones are important for the classification of subspecies in red squirrel. So, we support the Sidorowicz's classification, but it is necessary to carry out numerical analyses using the specimens including all subspecies. However, I named red squirrels from Korea as Korean red squirrel because the present results clearly indicate red squirrels from Korea is a different subspecies from red squirrel from China. The means of the representative morphological characters of Korean red squirrel (S. vulgaris coreae Jones & Johnson 1965) are: body length, 222.41±12.31mm; tail length, 190.64±18.71mm; the greatest length of the skull, 53.08±1.21㎜, the length of nasal bones, 15.60±0.52㎜; the width of the brain case, 22.68±0.57㎜; the greatest length of mandible, 37.31±0.91㎜; and the height of mandible, 19.21±0.85㎜.
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