Comparative phylogeography of four Apodemus species (Mammalia: Rodentia) in the Asian Far East: evidence of Quaternary climatic changes in their genetic structure

Abstract

The phylogeography of four Apodemus species (Apodemus agrarius, Apodemus peninsulae, Apodemus latronum, and Apodemus draco) was studied in the Far East of Asia, based on sequences of the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b gene. The results obtained show the existence of many different genetic lineages within the studied Apodemus species, suggesting the isolation and differentiation of populations in multiple refuge areas. Higher genetic diversities in some regions such as Yunnan, Sichuan (China), and eastern Russia suggest these areas are potential refuges for these species. The existence of such complex genetic structures could be linked to the presence of many biogeographic barriers (Himalaya Mountains, Tien-shan Mountains, Altai Mountains, Tibetan Plateau, Gobi desert, Yunnan Guizhou Plateau, Dzungaria basin, and others) in these regions, which were probably reinforced during the Quaternary climate changes. These barriers also played an important role concerning the low dispersal abilities of the two studied Apodemus species adapted to forest habitats (A. latronum and A. draco) with respect to colonizing regions other than China.

Colonization history of the sableMartes zibellina(Mammalia, Carnivora) on the marginal peninsula and islands of northeastern Eurasia

“…The present study and Sato et al (2011) suggest that the mtDNA lineage of the sable in Hokkaido was established during the Late Pleistocene. This migration time estimate is consistent with that for the Korean field mouse (Sakka et al 2010), but not with those for the Eurasian flying squirrel, the gray redbacked vole, and the mountain hare, whose migration times were estimated to occur during the late Middle Pleistocene (Yamada et al 2002;Oshida et al 2005;Abramson et al 2012;Kinoshita et al 2012). On the other hand, the brown bear Ursus arctos and the red fox Vulpes vulpes possess several distinctive mtDNA lineages on Hokkaido, suggesting repeated colonizations since the Middle to Late Pleistocene (Matsuhashi et al 1999(Matsuhashi et al , 2001Inoue et al 2007;Korsten et al 2009;Hirata et al 2013).…”

“…For Sakhalin, the signature of repeated migrations from the continent has also been suggested for the brown bear and the mountain hare, indicating that the migration to Sakhalin from the continent occurred after the establishment of the Hokkaido lineage (Kinoshita et al 2012;Hirata et al 2013). The gray red-backed vole, Korean field mouse, and least shrew may also have exhibited at least 2 migrations onto the island of Sakhalin (Pavlenko 1989;Iwasa et al 2000;Serizawa et al 2002;Sakka et al 2010;Abramson et al 2012;Ohdachi et al 2012). The similar pattern of coexistence of old and recent migrants in Sakhalin was also observed for the Siberian salamander (Matsui et al 2008;Poyarkov and Kuzmin 2008;Malyarchuk et al 2011Malyarchuk et al , 2013 and the carrion crow (Kryukov et al 2012).…”

“…Instead, the cold and dry climate led to coverage by tundra steppe-like vegetation; therefore, taiga forests have been fragmented as small patches in mainly southern Siberia (Abbott and Brochmann 2003;Semerikov et al 2007;Binney et al 2009). Many phylogeographic studies of boreal species in northeastern Eurasia have generally suggested the contraction of the ranges of boreal species into several refugia (e.g., southern Ural Mountains or southeastern Siberia) during glacial periods, followed by demographic expansion to form presentday distributions (Kvist et al 2001(Kvist et al , 2003Oshida et al 2005;Goropashnaya et al 2007;Fedorov et al 2008;Poyarkov and Kuzmin 2008;Korsten et al 2009;Hope et al 2010;Sakka et al 2010;Davison et al 2011;Malyarchuk et al 2011;Kryukov et al 2012;Ohdachi et al 2012;Todisco et al 2012;Malyarchuk et al 2013). However, how climate changes during the Pleistocene period influenced the demographic history of boreal species in northeastern Eurasia, particularly compared to Europe and North America, remains to be precisely determined.…”

Geographic variation of the large-eared field mouse (Apodemus latronum Thomas, 1911) (Rodentia: Muridae) with one new subspecies description verified via cranial morphometric variables and pelage characteristics

“…latronum has previously been regarded as a valid species (Allen 1940;Zimmermann 1962;Corbet and Hill 1992;Musser and Carleton 1993;Musser et al 1996;Musser and Carleton 2005), and in 2010, based on molecular data, Sakka et al (2010) found that 'the phylogeographic pattern observed in A. latronum demonstrated strong differentiated populations in the Sichuan and Yunnan regions' (Sakka et al 2010). In the present study, the results of principal component analyses (Figures 2 and 3) showed that the specimens of A. latronum (obtained from 18 sampling areas in southwestern China) cluster into two distinct geographic groups: A. latronum lijiangensis subsp.…”

Ultrastructure of Acinar Secretory Granules of Submandibular and Parotid Salivary Gland in the Korean Striped Field Mouse,Apodemus agrarius(Rodentia, Murinae)

“…In addition, the polarized secretory cells of salivary glands have been used as a model for studying evolutionary diversity at the cellular level (Phillips & Tandler, 1987;Tendler et al, 1988). The Korean striped field mouse, Apodemus agraius belonging to Rodentia is the most common small mammal inhabiting woodlands and forests throughout the Korean peninsula (Kim et al, 2000;Kim & Park, 2012;Sakka et al, 2010;Yoon et al, 1997). Intensive research on ecology, systematics and genetics of these animals within natural populations has been reported from many perspectives (Kim et al, 2000;Kim & Park, 2012;Yoon et al, 1997).…”