Igor Zagorodniuk is a Ukrainian zoologist, mammalogist, ecologist, and founder of Theriological school. He is a laureate of the State Prize of Ukraine in the field of science and technology (2015),[1] and the author of more than 500 scientific publications.[2]
I. Zagorodniuk started his zoological research in ornithology when he was a student of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. His diploma project at University (and also the intermediate works) was devoted to the study of migrations and flying of birds.[3][4]
Also, being a University student, I. Zagorodniuk started the study of amphibians (their hybrid zones in particular), conducted the experiments on biotope association of the amphibian group Bombina bombina – Bombina variegata, and also conducted experiments on the energy of Bombina species in winter time and the influence of wintering on the age structure of this species populations.[5] At the same time, I. Zagorodniuk started the study of karyotypes of amphibians and rodents. When he began his work at I. I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, the subject of his research was shifted towards the study of rodents. The first publication on this subject was devoted to the karyotypic variability of Microtus arvalis.[6]
The results of this research became the basis of justification of the species independence for Microtus arvalis — M. obscurus. This became one of the results of PhD research by I. Zagorodniuk and the subject of the most cited publication by the scientist.[7]
Taxonomic investigations
Taxonomic investigations make up a significant part of the scientific work of I. Zagorodniuk. This investigations were shifted from a description of small taxa to the group analysis and the discovery of patterns of formation and existence of low and high levels of taxonomic diversity. In this investigation, considerable attention is given to the groups of evolutionary and morphologically close species, primarily rodents. As a result of this cycle of research, 8 new taxa were described and a significant number of taxonomic permutations were proposed.
The following taxa are described as new to science:
Apodemus (Sylvaemus) falzfeini[10] (later the geographical boundaries have been substantially expanded, which eventually led to a change in the scientific name, and the described form is now a subspecies Sylvaemus witherbyi falzfeini)
Besides the taxa described for the first time, the researcher also substantiated the species, subfamily or generic statuses of a number of other taxa, which names were known as synonyms of other species or genera for a long period of time.
Sylvaemus uralensis (Pallas, 1811) — is currently recognized as a separate species that includes Apodemus microps (its dіstribution was recognized only in Central Europe, now - on Ural and Altai).
Mus spicilegus Petenyi, 1882 — is currently recognized as a separate species that was a part of Mus musculus.
Microtus obscurus (Eversmann, 1845) — is currently recognized as a separate species or a group of subspecies of the species Microtus arvalis.
Arvicola scherman (Shaw, 1801) — is currently recognized as a separate species or group of subspecies of the species Arvicola amphibius (the last name was also returned in use on the basis of the review of the superspecies «Arvicola terrestris»).
Sicista loriger (Nathusius, 1840) — is currently recognized as a separate species or group of the subspecies of the species Sicista subtilis.
Sylvaemus Ognev, 1924 — is currently recognized as a separate genus or subgenus of the genus Apodemus.
Terricola Fatio, 1867, — is currently recognized as a separate genus or subgenus of the genus Microtus.
Alexandromys Ognev, 1914, — is currently recognized as a separate genus or subgenus of the genus Microtus.
In the publications by I. Zagorodniuk a number of specifications are proposed regarding the interpretation of ranks and scopes of superfamily groups of mammals and unified names of some other taxa.[13]
I. V. Zagorodniuk is the initiator of the establishment and the founder of Theriological school — annual gathering of theriologists taking place in different regions of Ukraine since 1993.[14]
Scientific publications
Scientific interests: fauna and ecology of terrestrial vertebrates of Eastern Europe, biogeography and evolution of cryptic species, species concept and models of speciation, rare species and adventitious biota.
According to the personal profile of Igor Zagorodniuk at Google Academy the h-index of his publications is equal h = 24.
The most cited 10 works of Igor Zagorodniuk by this criterion are:
Zagorodnyuk I. V. Karyotypic variability and systematics of the Arvicolini (Rodentia). Communication 1. Species composition and chromosomal numbers. Vestnik zoologii. 1990. Vol. 24. № 2. P. 26–37 (in Russian, with English summary). = 54 cit.
Zagorodniuk I. V. Field key to small mammals of Ukraine.. Series: Proceedings of the Theriological School. Vol. 5. Kyiv, 2002. 60 pp (in Ukrainian, with English summary). = 53 cit.
Boeskorov G. G., Kartavtseva И. В., Zagorodniuk I. V., Belianin A. N., Liapunova E. A. Nucleolus organizer regions and B-chromosomes of field mice (Mammalia, Rodentia, Apodemus). Genetika. 1995. Т. 31. P. 185-192 = 41 cit (in English).
Godlevska O., Parnikoza I., Rizun V., Fesenko H., Kutsokon Yu., Zagorodniuk I., Shevchenko M., Inozemtseva D. Fauna of Ukraine: conservation categories. Reference book. The 2nd edition. Kyiv, 2010. 80 p. = 38 cit (In Ukrainian, with English summary).
The Arvicolinae are a subfamily of rodents that includes the voles, lemmings, and muskrats. They are most closely related to the other subfamilies in the Cricetidae. Some authorities place the subfamily Arvicolinae in the family Muridae along with all other members of the superfamily Muroidea. Some refer to the subfamily as the Microtinae or rank the taxon as a full family, the Arvicolidae.
Water voles are large voles in the genus Arvicola. They are found in both aquatic and dry habitat through Europe and much of northern Asia. A water vole found in Western North America was historically considered a member of this genus, but has been shown to be more closely related to members of the genus Microtus. Head and body lengths are 12–22 cm, tail lengths are 6.5–12.5 cm, and their weights are 70–250 g. The animals may exhibit indeterminate growth. They are thick-furred and have hairy fringes on their feet that improve their swimming ability.
The speckled ground squirrel or spotted souslik is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae from Eastern Europe. Spermophilus suslicus consists of three subspecies: S. s. boristhenicus, S. s. guttatus, and S. s. suslicus. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Frenkelia is a genus of parasites in the phylum Apicomplexa. The species in this genus infect the gastrointestinal tracts of birds of prey and the tissues of small rodents.
Pontophoca is an extinct genus of earless seals from the middle-late Miocene of the eastern Paratethys basin and the North Sea.
Theriological School – a professional and educational network that unites specialists in mammalogy of Ukraine and adjacent countries, first of all Poland, Belarus and, from time to time, Estonia, Russia and Romania. Theriological school as a community exists both as a network of professionals and as an annual meeting.
↑ Tsvelykh A. N., Mikhalevich О. А., Zagorodnjuk I. V. The relationship between the frequency of wings flapping and the flight speed of the gray heron (Ardea cinerea L.) // 18th International Ornithological Congress — M., 1982. — P. 139–140.
↑ Zagorodniuk I.V. The influence of wintering on the age structure of the populations of Bombina bombina // A species and it's its productivity in the range. — Sverdlovsk, 1984. — Part 5. — P. 18–19.
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