So close and so different: comparative phylogeography of two small mammal species, the Yellow-necked fieldmouse (Apodemus flavicollis) and the Woodmouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) in the Western Palearctic region

Abstract

In Europe, concordant geographical distribution among genetic lineages within different species is rare, which suggests distinct reactions to Quaternary ice ages. This study aims to determine whether such a discrepancy also affects a pair of sympatric species, which are morphologically and taxonomically closely related but which have slight differences in their ecological habits. The phylogeographic structures of two European rodents, the Yellow-necked fieldmouse (A. flavicollis) and the woodmouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) were, therefore, compared on the basis of mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b (mtDNA cyt b) sequences (965 base pairs) from 196 specimens collected from 59 European localities spread throughout the species distributions. The results indicate that the two species survived in different ways through the Quaternary glaciations. A. sylvaticus survived in the Iberian Peninsula from where it recolonized almost all Europe at the end of the last glaciation. Conversely, the refuge from which A. flavicollis recolonized Europe, including northern Spain, during the Holocene corresponds to the Italo-Balkan area, where A. sylvaticus suffered a serious genetic bottleneck. This study confirms that even closely related species may have highly different phylogeographic histories and shows the importance of ecological plasticity of the species for their survival through climate change. Finally, it suggests that phylogeographic distinctiveness may be a general feature of European species.

Mitochondrial phylogeography of the edible dormouse (Glis glis) in the western Palearctic region

“…Genetic structure of G. glis.-In contrast to the other studies of European rodents, which reported high levels of genetic divergence (Brunhoff et al 2003;Cosson et al 2005;Deffontaine et al 2005Deffontaine et al , 2009Dubey et al 2007;Fink et al 2004;Searle 2002, 2004;Kotlik et al 2006;Michaux et al 2003Michaux et al , 2005Neumann et al 2005), our results show very low genetic variability in G. glis. The evolutionary trees and haplotype network divide G. glis into 3 wellsupported genetic lineages that have nonoverlapping geographical distributions (with the exception of Sicilian animals occurring in 2 different haplogroups).…”

Phylogeography of the weasel (Mustela nivalis) in the western-Palaearctic region: combined effects of glacial events and human movements

“…Although based on a small sampling, our data do not support the hypothesis of a refugium located in the Balkan area. This pattern of more stable populations in the Balkans has already been described for the bi-coloured shrew (Crocidura leucodon; Dubey et al, 2007b) and the yellow-necked fieldmouse (Apodemus flavicollis; Michaux et al, 2005). This might be explained by milder climatic conditions prevailing in places farther from the ice sheet.…”

Pliocene and Pleistocene diversification and multiple refugia in a Eurasian shrew (Crocidura suaveolens group)

“…Although diVerent species may have had diVerent refugia, colonisation routes (depending on migration abilities), resilience to environmental change, and stochastic events in their histories, such as local extinction (Hewitt, 2003;Michaux et al, 2005), accumulated data reveal a general picture in Europe involving southern refugia and northward colonisation routes. Locally, mountains and seas acted as signiWcant barriers, isolating populations in diVerent glacial refugia and constraining post-glacial migration routes (Hewitt, 1999;Taberlet et al, 1998).…”