Unraveling the Evolutionary History of Snow Sheep ( Ovis nivicola ): Genome‐Wide Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Analysis Reveals Genetic Diversity and Clarifies Taxonomy
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: ABSTRACT The snow sheep ( Ovis nivicola ) is a wild mountain artiodactyl inhabiting the highlands of northeastern Siberia and the Russian Far East. Despite its ecological and conservation importance, the intraspecific taxonomy of this species has long remained controversial due to its broad distribution, morphological variability and limited available material. In this study, we performed a comprehensive genome‐wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis, encompassing all major described populations to clarify the evolutionary relationships and taxonomic structure of snow sheep. A total of 337 individuals from 15 populations were genotyped using Illumina OvineSNP50 and OvineHD 600 K BeadChips, with 1032 autosomal SNPs retained after quality filtering. Population structure analyses revealed eight major genetic clusters largely corresponding to geographic regions: Kamchatkan, Koryak, Okhotsk/Chukotka, Yakutian (Moma Range), Yakutian (Verkhoyansk Range), Yablonov, Kharaulakh and Putorana. Pairwise F ST values confirmed substantial differentiation among most populations. Using f 3 ‐statistics, two significant admixture events were identified, one involving the Orulgan and another the northern Kamchatka populations. Based on the integrated genomic and historical evidence, our results support the taxonomic recognition of the Kamchatkan ( O. n. nivicola ), Putorana ( O. n. borealis ), Okhotsk ( O. n. alleni ), Koryak ( O. n. koriakorum ), Yakutian ( O. n. lydekkeri ), and Stanovoy/Yablonov ( O. n. potanini ) subspecies, and propose recognition of the Kharaulakh snow sheep as a new subspecies, O. n. ernsti . The Kodar population, characterized by extremely low heterozygosity, requires further sampling to resolve its taxonomic position. These findings provide the first genome‐wide framework for understanding the evolutionary history of snow sheep and establish a genetic basis for future conservation management.
Source: Ecology and Evolution
DOI: 10.1002/ece3.74182
Authors: Arsen V. Dotsev, Innokentiy M. Okhlopkov, Mikhail G. Bondar, Dennis I. Litovka, Tatiana E. Deniskova, Veronika R. Kharzinova, Michael N. Romanov, Taras P. Sipko, Nikolai V. Mamaev, Maria N. Semerikova, Olga A. Koshkina, Neckruz F. Bakoev, Vugar A. Bagirov, Andrey A. Sitsko, Dmitry G. Medvedev, Alexander N. Kuksin, Mohammad Hossein Moradi, Ali Esmailizadeh, Darren K. Griffin, Henry Reyer, Klaus Wimmers, Gábor Mészáros, Johann Sölkner, Ivica Medugorac, Gottfried Brem, Natalia A. Zinovieva
Institutions: Federal Scientific Center for Animal Husbandry named after Academician L.K. Ernst, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Taymyr Nature Reserve, Kasetsart University, University of Kent, Russian Academy of Sciences, Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Tehran, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, University College London, Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), BOKU University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna
Language: English
Subfield: Genetics
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,570
Awards: G3648202742, G5276435866, G6392729047
OpenAlex ID: W7203448041