New molecular data favour an anthropogenic introduction of the wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) in North Africa

Abstract

According to fossil data, the wood mouse arrived in North Africa 7500 ya, while it was present in Europe since Early Pleistocene. Previous molecular studies suggested that its introduction in North Africa probably occurred via the Strait of Gibraltar more than 0.4 Mya ago. In this study, we widely sampled wood mice to get a better understanding of the geographic and demographic history of this species in North Africa and possibly to help resolving the discrepancy between genetic and palaeontological data. Specifically, we wanted to answer the following questions: (1) When and how did the wood mouse arrive in North Africa? and (2) What is its demographic and geographic history in North Africa since its colonization? We collected in the field 438 new individuals and used both mtDNA and six microsatellite markers to answer these questions. Our results confirm that North African wood mice have a south‐western European origin and colonized the Maghreb through the Strait of Gibraltar probably during the Mesolithic or slightly after. They first colonized the Tingitana Peninsula and then expanded throughout North Africa. Our genetic data suggest that the ancestral population size comprised numerous individuals reinforcing the idea that wood mice did not colonize Morocco accidentally through rafting of a few individuals, but via recurrent/multiple anthropogenic translocations. No spatial structuring of the genetic variability was recorded in North Africa, from Morocco to Tunisia.

Out of Africa: demographic and colonization history of the Algerian mouse (Mus spretus Lataste)

“…At first sight, it could be surprising that the Algerian mice colonized Europe via anthropogenic translocation several thousand years ago and that its dispersal between the two continents did not continue until today since maritime trade has increased. A similar phenomenon was previously observed in another rodent species, the wood mouse (Lalis et al 2016;Stoetzel 2017). One hypothesis could be that at the beginning of the Holocene these two species were more commensal than today.…”

Disentangle the Causes of the Road Barrier Effect in Small Mammals through Genetic Patterns

“…The 5–95 percentile envelopes (999 replicates for each migration rate value) are shown in light coral. In the right plots, the blue circles represent observed values, which are placed to the right of generation 500 according to the highway’s age and assuming a generation time of six months [ 88 ].…”

“…However, there is individual, seasonal, habitat-related and geographical variation in the age of sexual maturity [ 125 , 132 , 133 , 134 ], and the onset of sexual activity in females as a function of age can be delayed and slow [ 24 , 135 ]. Taking all this information together, we assumed a generation time of six months [ 88 ]. We also assumed an equal sex ratio.…”

Effects of Isolation by Continental Islands in the Seto Inland Sea, Japan, on Genetic Diversity of the Large Japanese Field Mouse, Apodemus speciosus (Rodentia: Muridae), Inferred from the Mitochondrial Dloop Region

“…This indicates that the bridges constructed among islands (Shimanami Kaidou Highway from Onomichi to Imabari through Muk-Inn-Iku-Ohm-Hak-Ohs islands and Akinada Tobishima Kaidou Highway from Kure to Oss through Sk-Kk islands) did not affect the genetic constitution of A. speciosus on these islands. While repeated anthropogenic translocations from Europe to Africa were known for forest-living species A. sylvaticus (Lalis et al, 2016), A. speciosus inhabiting islands in the Seto Inland Sea did not show a trend for such commensality to human activities. The Seto Inland Sea has been a prosperous transportation route for ships since the mid-Yayoi period (ca.…”