Abstract Due to their conservative morphology, the complexity of the taxonomic composition of the Myotis “nattereri” species complex was highly underestimated until recently. In recent studies, the form inhabiting the Caucasus region was allocated to the species Myotis tschuliensis. However, no molecular data was available from its type territory in Turkmenistan. We successfully isolated DNA from two paratypes of M. tschuliensis stored in the Zoological museum of Moscow State University and obtained partial sequences of the mitochondrial gene ND1. The analysis of the DNA showed that the specimens from the Caucasus and Turkmenistan undoubtedly belong to the same genetic lineage. However, morphometric analysis of cranial and dental features showed that the Caucasus and Turkmenistan populations differ from each other approximately to the same extent as M. tschuliensis from M. nattereri. It is possible that there is a still undescribed geographical race in the Caucasus. However, final clarification of the taxonomic status of this population requires more extensive studies, both genetic and morphological.

中文翻译：

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验证关系：哪种 Myotis “nattereri”组（手足目：Vespertilionidae）实际上居住在高加索

摘要 由于其保守的形态，直到最近，Myotis “nattereri”物种复合体的分类组成的复杂性被高度低估。在最近的研究中，居住在高加索地区的这种形式被分配给 Myotis tschuliensis 物种。然而，在土库曼斯坦没有其类型领土的分子数据。我们成功地从莫斯科国立大学动物学博物馆储存的两个副型 M. tschuliensis 中分离出 DNA，并获得了线粒体基因 ND1 的部分序列。DNA分析表明，来自高加索和土库曼斯坦的标本无疑属于同一基因谱系。然而，颅骨和牙齿特征的形态计量学分析表明，高加索和土库曼斯坦种群之间的差异与 M. tschuliensis 与 M. nattereri 的差异程度大致相同。高加索地区可能还有一个尚未描述的地理种族。然而，该种群的分类地位的最终澄清需要更广泛的研究，包括遗传和形态学。