Publication details
Genetická struktura středoevropských populací myšice temnopásé (Apodemus agrarius)
| Title in English | Genetic structures of the Central European striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius) populations |
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| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2023 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
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| Citation | |
| Description | The striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius) is a small murine rodent native to East Asia, from where it expanded through Russia all the way to Western Europe; its distribution thus covers most of the Palearctic region. The colonization of Central Europe likely occurred during the Holocene as a result of climate changes that led to the formation of more open habitats. Due to its relatively recent expansion, European populations of the striped field mouse do not show significant genetic variability (mtDNA, microsatellites), making it difficult to study the history of its spread. This problem was addressed using the ddRAD sequencing method, which provided a large number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across the entire genome. Using this method, we obtained genetic data from 96 individuals from thirty locations in seven Central European countries. Our results, for the first time, show a clear genetic structure of striped field mouse populations in Europe, which also reflects potential east-to-west migration routes. The analysis of genetic structure identified three main population units in Central Europe: in the Pannonian Basin, in the northern part of Europe and in Moravia. Within these defined populations, a more detailed substructure is also apparent. The geographic localization of these three main populations suggests that the spread into Central Europe occurred via both northern and southern routes, which split along the Carpathians. Additionally, there is evidence of contact between individuals from the northern and Pannonian populations, raising further questions about the level of their admixture and the potential for expansion or fluctuation of the striped field mouse’s range. Expanding the dataset to include new locations will provide a more comprehensive insight into the evolutionary history of striped field mouse populations in Europe and help to understand the processes that determine the edges of its distribution and their fluctuations. |