Publication details
Genetic structure of the Central European Apodemus agrarius populations
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| Year of publication | 2023 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Description | Striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius) is a small murid rodent widespread in most of the Palearctic region. The species originated in Eastern Asia from where it colonized most of Eurasia. Expansion in Central Europe occurred probably during late Quaternary reflecting the climatic and habitat changes. As a result of relatively recent spread event, genetic variation over Europe is not pronounced and thus cannot reveal its population and expansion history. Here, we use substantial number of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data over the whole genome using ddRAD sequencing technique to overcome problem of relatively shallow genetic differentiation. Totally, we obtained genetic information from 96 individuals from 30 localities over seven Central-European countries. Our results indicate that for the first time any genetic data can be used to recover population structure in recently expanded A. agrarius in Europe, showing a clear structure that reflects the potential spread pathways from the east and potential geomorphological features encountered. Three main population units includes the Pannonian Plain, northern part of the Central Europe (from the northern Czech and Slovak Republics northwards) and at least one intermediate population between them (Moravia region of the Czech Republic); with other more detailed substructure. These main populations might reflect supposed northern and southern colonization routes around the Carpathians. Documentation of the recent contact between the northern and the Pannonian A. agrarius populations brings other questions of its admixture and the impact on other spread potential. Additional more comprehensive and focused sampling from new localities will provide more complex insight into evolutionary history of these A. agrarius populations and contribute to our general understanding of processes playing role at an animal distribution edge and its fluctuation. |