Analysis and Comparison of Hereditary Features of Field Vole ( Microtus fortis) from Three Different Regions

We use methods of chromosome G-band, biochemical markers, and RAPD markers of DNA to analyze hereditary features of Microtus fortis from a) lakesides of Dongting Lake, Hunan province; b) field of Qingtongxia county, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region; and c) grassy marshland of Jinshantun, Yichun county, Heilongjiang province. Results indicate that the chromosome number of voles from Hunan and Ningxia is 2N = 52, while voles from Heilongjiang is 2N = 42. Results of biochemical sites indicate that the voles from these three regions are all non-even in heredity; the individual RAPD genetic distance of voles from Hunan, Ningxia and Heilongjiang is 0.244 (0.143-0.353), 0.226(0.161-0.294), 0.541(0.375-0.692)respectively. The RAPD genetic distance of voles from Hunan and Ningxia is 0.367, while the genetic distance of the first hybridized generation (Hunan and Ningxia) and their parents is under 0.310; but the genetic distance between voles from Heilongjiang and voles from Hunan and Ningxia is 0.619, 0.633 respectively. In brief, the voles from these three different regions are all non-even in heredity, but voles from Hunan and Ningxia are similar in chromosome numbers, biochemical sites, and genome RAPD markers. The voles from Ningxia and Hunan may hybrid, while the voles from Heilongjiang can't hybrid with the voles from the other two regions. The heredity of voles from Heilongjiang is quite different from voles of the other two regions, Thus its species position should be studied further.