Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Skull shape in thegenus Apodemus: phylogenetic conservatism and/or adaptation to local conditions

  • Published:
Acta Theriologica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We studied morphological variation among western Palaearctic species of woodmice (genusApodemus). Twenty one dental and skull variables were measured and evaluated using multivariate statistical approaches. A total of 501 specimens of the following 9 species of wood mice were examined:A. hermonensis, A. hyrcanicus, A. uralensis (=microps),A. flavicollis, A. sylvaticus, A. epimelas, A. mystacinus, A. peninsulae, A. agrarius. Species occupying large geographic areas were represented by two or three geographically distant populations. The analyses, based both on original and size adjusted data, revealed congruence between morphological evolution and phylogenetic relationships.

The integrity of major clades was supported by morphometric trees. Conspecific samples showed a clear tendency to cluster together regardless of ecological differences and geographical distances. This finding may suggest that studied traits exhibit evolutionary conservatism, and therefore are not fully determined by actual selective pressures. Besides this, we demonstrated that morphological differentiation of taxa belonging to the subgenus Sylvaemus was more pronounced in Central Europe than in the Near East. This observed phenomenon could be of adaptive nature.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bellinvia E. 2004. A phylogenetic study of the genusApodemus by sequencing the mitochondrial DNA control region. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research 42: 289–297.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bellinvia E., Munclinger P. and Flegr J. 1999. Application of the RAPD technique for a study of the phylogenetic reletionships among eight species of the genusApodemus. Folia Zoologica 46: 193–199.

    Google Scholar 

  • Böhme W. 1978.Apodemus agrarius (Pallas, 1771) — Brandmaus. [In: Handbuch der Säugetiere Europas, Band I., Nagetiere 1. J. Niethammer and F. Krapp, eds]. Akademische Verlagsgesellschaft, Wiesbaden: 368–381.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burnaby T. P. 1966. Growth-invariant discriminant functions and generalized distances. Biometrics 22: 96–110.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chelomina G. N., Suzuki H, Tsuchiya K., Moriwaki K., Lyapunova E. A. and Voronstov N. N. 1998. Sequencing of the mt DNA cytochrome b gene and reconstruction of the maternal relationships of wood and field mice of the genusApodemus (Muridae, Rodentia). Genetika 34: 650–661. [In Russian with English summary]

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Čiháková J., Exnerová A., Sádlo J. and Frynta D. 1993. Many-sided evaluation of the extensive synchronous sampling of small mammals (Insectivora, Rodentia) in lowland forest. Acta Societatis Zoologicae Bohemicae 57: 1–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Filippucci M. G. 1992. Allozyme variation and divergence among European, Middle Eastern, and North African species of the genusApodemus (Rodentia, Muridae). Israel Journal of Zoology 38: 193–218.

    Google Scholar 

  • Filippucci M. G., Cristaldi M., Tizi L. and Contoli L. 1984. [Morphological and morphometric data, aboutApodemus (Sylvaemus) population of central and southern Italy tested by electrophoresis]. Supplemento alle Ricerche di Biologia della Selvaggina 9, Bologna: 85–126. [In Italian]

  • Filippucci M. G., Macholán M. and Michaux J. R. 2002. Genetic variation and evolution in the genusApodemus (Muridae, Rodentia). Biological Journal of Linnean Society 75: 395–419.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Filippucci M. G., Simson S. and Nevo E. 1989. Evolutionary biology of the genusApodemus Kaup, 1829 in Israel. Allozymic and biometric analyses with description of a new species: Apodemus hermonensis (Rodentia: Mu-ridae). Bollettino di Zoologia 56: 361–376.

    Google Scholar 

  • Filippucci M. G., Storch G. and Macholán M. 1996. Taxo-nomy of the genusSylvaemus in western Anatolia — morphological and electrophoretic evidence. Sencken-bergiana Biologica 75: 1–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frynta D., Mikulová P., Suchomelová E. and Sádlová J. 2001. Discriminant analysis of morphometric characters in four species of Apodemus (Muridae: Rodentia) from Eastern Turkey and Iran. Israel Journal of Zoology 47: 243–258.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frynta D., Vohralík V., Řezníček J. 1994. Small mammals (Insectivora, Rodentia) in the city of Prague: distributional patterns. Acta Societatis Zoologicae Bohemicae 58: 151–176.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frynta D. and Žižková M. 1992. Postnatal growth of Wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) in captivity. [In: Prague Studies in Mammalogy. I. Horáček and V. Vohralfk, eds]. Charles University Press, Prague: 57–69.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garland T. 1994. Phylogenetic analyses of lizard endurance capacity in the relation to body size and body temperature. [In: Lizard ecology, Historical and Experimental perspectives. L. J. Vitt and E. R. Pianka, eds]. Princeston University Press, Princeston, New Jersey: 237–259.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hille A., Tarkhnishvili D., Meinig H. and Hutterer R. 2002. Morphometries, biochemical and molecular traits in Caucasian wood mice (Apodemus/Sylvaemus), with remarks on species divergence. Acta Theriologica 47: 389–416.

    Google Scholar 

  • Janžekovic F. and Kryštufek B. 2004. Geometric morphometry f the upper molars in European wood miceApodemus. Folia Zoologica 53: 47–55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kratochvíl J. 1962. Notiz zur Ergänzung der Verbreitung vonApodemus agrarius und A.microps in der Tschechoslowakei. Zoologické Listy 11: 15–25. [In Czech with German summary]

    Google Scholar 

  • Kryštufek B. 2002. Identity of fourApodemus (Sylvaemus) types from the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. Mammalia 66: 43–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kryštufek B. and Stojanovski L. 1996.Apodemus sylvaticus stankovici is a synonym ofApodemus flavicollis. Folia Zoologica 45: 1–7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lavrenchenko L. A. and Likhnova O. P. 1995. Allozymic and morphological variability in 3 syntopic species of wood mice from the subgenusSylvaemus (Rodentia, Muridae,Apodemus) from Daghestan. Zoologicheskii Zhurnal 74: 107–119. [In Russian with English summary]

    Google Scholar 

  • Macholán M. 2001. Multivariate analysis of morphometric variation in AsianMus and Sub-SaharanNannomys (Rodentia: Muridae). Zoologischer Anzeiger 240: 7–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Macholán M., Filippucci M. G., Benda P., Frynta D. and Sádlová J. 2001. Allozyme variation and systematics of the genusApodemus (Muridae: Rodentia) in Asia Minor and Iran. Journal of Mammalogy 82: 799–813.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marsh A. C. W. and Harris S. 2000. Partitioning of woodland resources by two sympatric species ofApodemus: lessons for the conservation of yellow-necked mouse (Aflavicollis) in Britain. Biological Conservation 92: 275–283.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin Y., Gerlach G., Schlotterer C. and Meyer A. 2000. Molecular phylogeny of European muroid rodents based on complete cytochrome b sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 16: 37–47.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mezhzherin S. V. 1990. Allozyme variability and genetic divergence of Long-tailed mice of subgenusSylvaemus (Ognev et Vorobiev). Genetika 26: 1046–1054. [In Russian with English summary]

    Google Scholar 

  • Mezhzherin S. V. 1991. On specific distinctness ofApodemus (Sylvaemus) ponticus (Rodentia, Muridae). Vestnik Zoologii, Kiev 1991 (6): 34–40. [In Russian with English summary]

    Google Scholar 

  • Mezhzherin S. V. 1997a. Revision of mice genusApodemus (Rodentia, Muridae) of Northern Eurasia. Vestnik Zoologii, Kiev 31 (4): 29–41. [In Russian with English summary]

    Google Scholar 

  • Mezhzherin S. V. 1997b. Genetic differentiation and phylogenetic relationships among Palaearctic mice (Rodentia, Muridae). Genetika 33: 78–86. [In Russian with English summary]

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mezhzherin S. V., Zykov A. E. 1991. Genetic divergence and allozyme variation in mice of the genusApodemus s. lato (Muridae: Rodentia). Citologiya i Genetika 25 (4): 51–59. [In Russian with English summary]

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Michaux J., Bellinvia E. and Lymberakis P. 2005. Taxonomy, evolutionary history and biogeography of the Broad-toothed Field Mouse (Apodemus mystacinus) in the Eastern Mediterranean area based on mitochondrial and nuclear genes. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 85: 53–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Michaux J. R., Chevret P., Filippucci M. G. and Macholán M. 2002. Phylogeny of the genusApodemus with a special emphasis to the subgenusSylvaemus using the nuclear IRBP gene and two mitochondrial markers: cytochromeb and 12s rRNA. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 23: 123–136.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Michaux J. R., Libois R. and Filippucci M. G. 2005. 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. Heredity 94: 52–63.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Michaux J. R., Libois R., Paradis E. and Filippucci M. G. 2004. Phylogeographic history of the yellow-necked field mouse (Apodemus flavicolllis) in Europe and in the Near and Middle East. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 32: 788–798.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Michaux J. R., Magnanou E., Paradis E., Nieberding C. and Libois R. 2003. Mitochondrial phylogeography of the woodmouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) in the Western Palearctic region. Molecular Ecology 12: 685–697.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mikulová P. and Frynta D. 2001. Test of character displacement in urban populations ofApodemus sylvaticus. Canadian Journal of Zoology 79: 794–801.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell-Jones A. J., Amori G., Bogdanowicz W., Kryètufek B., Reijnders P. J. H., Spitzenberger F., Stubbe M., Thissen J. B. M., Vohralfk V. and Zima J. 1999. The atlas of European mammals. Academic Press, London: 1–484.

    Google Scholar 

  • Montgomery W. I. 1978. Studies on the distributions of Apodemus sylvaticus (L.) and A. flavicollis (Melchior) in Britain. Mammal Review 8: 177–184.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Musser G. G., Brothers E. M., Carleton M. D. and Hutterer R. 1996. Taxonomy and distributional records of Oriental and EuropeanApodemus, with a review of theApodemus-Sylvaemus problem. Bonner Zoologische Beiträge 46: 143–190.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mosimann J. 1970. Size allometry: size and shape variables with characterizations of the lognormal and generalized gamma distributions. Journal of the American Statistical Association 65: 930–945.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Obrtel R. and Holišová V. 1983. Winter and spring diets of three coexistingApodemus spp. Folia Zoologica 32: 291–302.

    Google Scholar 

  • Özkan B. and Krystufek B. 1999. Wood mice,Apodemus of two Turkish islands: Gökceada and Bozcaada. Folia Zoologica 48: 17–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Panzironi C, Cerone G., Cristaldi M. and Amori G. 1994. A method for the morphometric identification of southern Italian populations ofApodemus (Sylvaemus). Hystrix, n.s., 5: 1–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Popov V. 1993. Discriminant criteria and comparative study on morphology and habitat selection ofApodemus sylvaticus (Linnaeus, 1758) andApodemus flavicollis (Melchior, 1834) (Mammalia, Rodentia, Muridae) in Bulgaria. Acta Zoologica Bulgarica 46: 100–111.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reutter B. A., Hausser J. and Vogel P. 1999. Discriminant analysis of skull morphometric characters inApodemus sylvaticus, A. flavicollis, and A.alpicola (Mammalia; Rodentia) from the Alps. Acta Theriologica 44: 299–308.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reutter B. A., Petit E., Brünner H., Vogel P. 2003. Cytochromeb haplotype divergences in West EuropeanApodemus. Mammalian Biology 68: 153–164.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Serizawa K., Suzuki H. and Tsuchia K. 2000. A phylogenetic view on species radiation inApodemus inferred from variation of nuclear and mitochondrial genes. Biochemical Genetics 38: 27–40.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Spitzenberger F., Steiner H. M. 1967. Die Ökologie der Insectivora und Rodentia (Mammalia) der Stockerauer Donau — Auen von Stockerau (Niederösterreich). Bonner Zoologische Beiträge 18: 258–296.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stanko M. 1994. Small mammal communities of windbreaks and adjacent fields in the Eastern Slovakian Lowlands. Folia Zoologica 43: 135–143.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steiner H. M. 1968. Untersuchungen über die Variabilität und Bionomie der GattungApodemus (Muridae, Mammalia) der Donau-Auen von Stockerau (Niederösterreich). Zeitschrift für Wissenschaftliche Zoologie 177: 1–96.

    Google Scholar 

  • Suzuki H., Sato J. J., Tsuchiya K., Luo J., Zhang Y. P., Wang Y. X. and Jiang X. L. 2003. Molecular phylogeny of wood mice (Apodemus, Muridae) in East Asia. Biological Journal of Linnean Society 80: 469–481.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tvrtkovic N. 1979. Identification of sibling species from subgenusSylvaemus Ognev & Vorobiev 1923 (Rodentia: Mammalia). RAD Jugoslavenske akademije znanosti i umjetnosti, Razred za prirodne znanosti 18: 155–186. [In Croatian with German summary]

    Google Scholar 

  • Vogel P., Maddalena T., Mabille A. and Paquet G. 1992. Confirmation biochimique du statut spécifique du mulot alpestreApodemus alpicola Heinrich, 1952 (Mammalia, Rodentia). Bulletin de la Societe’ Vaudoise des Sciences Naturelles 80: 471–481.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vohralík V. 1985. Notes on the distribution and the biology of small mammals in Bulgaria (Insectivora, Rodentia). I. Acta Universitatis Carolinae — Biologica 1981: 445–461.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vohralík V., Frynta D., Mikulová P., Benda P. and Nova P. 2002. Multivariate morphometriesof Apodemus mystacinus in the Near East and its divergence from European A.m. epimelas (Mammalia: Rodentia). Israel Journal of Zoology 48: 135–148.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vohralík V. and Sofianidou T. S. 1987. Small mammals (Insectivora, Rodentia) of Macedonia, Greece. Acta Universitatis Carolinae — Biologica 1985: 319–354.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vohralík V. and Sofianidou T. S. 1992a. Small mammals (Insectivora, Rodentia) of Thrace, Greece. Acta Universitatis Carolinae — Biologica 36: 341–369.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vohralík V. and Sofianidou T. S. 1992b. New records ofApodemus agrarius (Mammalia: Rodentia) in Greece and the distribution of the species in the south of the Balkans. [In: Prague Studies in Mammalogy. I. Horácek and V. Vohralík, eds]. Charles University Press, Prague: 217–220.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vorontsov N. N., Boyeskorov G. G., Mezhzherin S. V., Lyapunova E. A. and Kandaurov A. E. 1992. Systematics of the Caucasian wood mice of the subgenusSylvaemus (Mammalia: Rodentia,Apodemus). Zoologicheskii Zhurnal 71: 119–131. [In Russian with English summary]

    Google Scholar 

  • West-Eberhard M. J. 1989. Phenotypic plasticity and the origins of diversity. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 20: 249–278.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • West-Eberhard M. J. 2003. Developmental Plasticity and Evolution. Oxford University Press, Oxford: 1–794.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zejda J. 1965. Habitat of the Long-tailed Field Mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) in the Lowland Region. Zoologické Listy 14: 301–316. [In Czech with English summary]

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, Charles University, Viničná 7, CZ-128 44, Praha 2, Czech Republic

    Daniel Frynta, Pavlína Mikulová & Vladimír Vohralík

  2. Department of Special Elements of Nature Protection, Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic, Vrsovická 65, CZ-100 10, Praha 10

    Pavlína Mikulová

Authors
  1. Daniel Frynta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Pavlína Mikulová
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Vladimír Vohralík
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Associate Editor was Magdalena Niedziatkowska.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Frynta, D., Mikulová, P. & Vohralík, V. Skull shape in thegenus Apodemus: phylogenetic conservatism and/or adaptation to local conditions. Acta Theriol 51, 139–153 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03192665

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03192665

Key words

Search

Navigation