Premium
On the origin of the N orwegian lemming
Author(s) -
Lagerholm Vendela K.,
SandovalCastellanos Edson,
Ehrich Dorothee,
Abramson Natalia I.,
Nadachowski Adam,
Kalthoff Daniela C.,
Germonpré Mietje,
Angerbjörn Anders,
Stewart John R.,
Dalén Love
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
molecular ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.619
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1365-294X
pISSN - 0962-1083
DOI - 10.1111/mec.12698
Subject(s) - pleistocene , biology , refugium (fishkeeping) , last glacial maximum , glacial period , ecology , population , holocene , demographic history , divergence (linguistics) , taxon , paleontology , genetic variation , demography , biochemistry , linguistics , philosophy , sociology , habitat , gene
The Pleistocene glacial cycles resulted in significant changes in species distributions, and it has been discussed whether this caused increased rates of population divergence and speciation. One species that is likely to have evolved during the Pleistocene is the Norwegian lemming ( L emmus lemmus ). However, the origin of this species, both in terms of when and from what ancestral taxon it evolved, has been difficult to ascertain. Here, we use ancient DNA recovered from lemming remains from a series of Late Pleistocene and Holocene sites to explore the species' evolutionary history. The results revealed considerable genetic differentiation between glacial and contemporary samples. Moreover, the analyses provided strong support for a divergence time prior to the Last Glacial Maximum ( LGM ), therefore likely ruling out a postglacial colonization of Scandinavia. Consequently, it appears that the Norwegian lemming evolved from a small population that survived the LGM in an ice‐free Scandinavian refugium.