Open AccessPost‐glacial colonization of eastern E urope from the C arpathian refugium: evidence from mitochondrial DNA of the common vole M icrotus arvalis
Author(s) -
Stojak Joanna,
McDevitt Allan D.,
Herman Jeremy S.,
Searle Jeremy B.,
Wójcik Jan M.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
biological journal of the linnean society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.906
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1095-8312
pISSN - 0024-4066
DOI - 10.1111/bij.12535
Subject(s) - refugium (fishkeeping) , microtus , vole , biology , glacial period , ecology , biological dispersal , range (aeronautics) , mitochondrial dna , zoology , population , paleontology , demography , habitat , gene , biochemistry , materials science , composite material , sociology
There is now considerable evidence for the survival of temperate species within glacial refugia that were situated at relatively high latitudes, notably the C arpathian B asin and D ordogne region in E urope. However, the prevalence of fossil remains in such locations is rarely matched by molecular evidence for their contribution to subsequent geographical and demographic expansion of the species in question. One obstacle to this has been insufficient analysis of modern samples from the relevant areas, in particular the parts of eastern E urope that surround the C arpathian refugium. In the present study, we examine the patterns of variation in mitochondrial DNA of the common vole ( M icrotus arvalis ), obtained from existing museum specimens and from newly‐collected samples obtained in this area. We show that common voles from one of six extant mitochondrial DNA lineages have colonized most of the species' range in eastern E urope. We contend that the post‐glacial dispersal of this lineage most likely originated from the C arpathian refugium, adding support to the argument that such northern refugia made an important contribution to existing genetic diversity in E urope. © 2015 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2015, ●● , ●●–●●.