[mtDNA polymorphism and differentiation of subspecies of Chinese raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonides)].

The mtDNA from 14 Raccoon dogs of 7 geographical populations was analyzed with 8 restriction endonucleases, and the restriction map was constructed. Furthermore, UPG molecular phylogenetic trees of the mtDNA were constructed based on the genetic distances. Our results indicated that the differentiation was obvious within geographical populations of the subspecies N. p. procyonoides, and that the event of divergence in Chinese Raccoon dog first occurred between the southern and northern populations, and then, between the western and the eastern populations. We proposed that both of the Huabei and Shanxi populations which had not been identified could be classified into two independent subspecies respectively.