Glacial survival of the Norwegian lemming (Lemmus lemmus) in Scandinavia: inference from mitochondrial DNA variation

Abstract

In order to evaluate the biogeographical hypothesis that the Norwegian lemming (Lemmus lemmus) survived the last glacial period in some Scandinavian refugia, we examined variation in the nucleotide sequence of the mitochondrial control region (402 base pairs (bp)) and the cytochrome b (cyt b) region (633 bp) in Norwegian and Siberian (Lemmus sibiricus) lemmings. The phylogenetic distinction and cyt b divergence estimate of 1.8% between the Norwegian and Siberian lemmings suggest that their separation pre-dated the last glaciation and imply that the Norwegian lemming is probably a relic of the Pleistocene populations from Western Europe. The star-like control region phylogeny and low mitochondrial DNA diversity in the Norwegian lemming indicate a reduction in its historical e¡ective size followed by population expansion. The average estimate of post-bottleneck time (19^21kyr) is close to the last glacial maximum (18^22 kyr BP). Taking these ¢ndings and the fossil records into consideration, it seems likely that, after colonization of Scandinavia in the Late Pleistocene, the Norwegian lemming su¡ered a reduction in its population e¡ective size and survived the last glacial maximum in some local Scandinavian refugia, as suggested by early biogeographical work.

Molecular Variation and Phylogeography of the Moss Campion Silene Acaulis (L.) Jacq. (Caryophyllaceae) in the North of Europe and the Svalbard Archipelago

“…Несмотря на то, что Скандинавский полуостров был покрыт ледниковым щитом, относитель-но большой уровень эндемизма позволил предположить существование на его территории локальных рефугиумов на возвышающихся над ледником горах (нунатаках) и на шельфе северного моря, который был сушей во время оледенений (Dahl, 1987). На возможность существо-вания таких рефугиумов указывается, в частности, для норвежских леммингов (Fedorov, Stenseth, 2001). Ис-пользование смолевкой нунатаков в качестве убежища малоправдоподобно из-за суровых условий последних, однако, вероятность существования популяций на шель-фе нельзя полностью исключить.…”

Refugia in Glacial Ages Led to the Current Discontinuous Distribution Patterns of the Dark Red-backed VoleMyodes rexon Hokkaido, Japan

“…The expansion event was dated using the formula t = τ / 2u, where u = μ (mutation rate per site and year) × k (sequence length). To obtain a time estimate, we used two different rate calibrations for the divergence of the mtDNA control region of arvicoline rodents: μ = 3.6% per bp and million years (Myr) (Matson and Baker, 2001) and 17% per bp and Myr (Fedorov and Stenseth, 2001).…”

Refugia revisited: individualistic responses of species in space and time

“…Over recent years, the use of the glacial refugium concept has broadened, and has frequently been applied to coldadapted species such as lemmings (Fedorov & Stenseth 2001, rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta; Holder et al 1999), mountain sheep (Loehr et al 2005), mountain avens (Dryas integrifolia; Tremblay & Schoen 1999) and white spruce (Picea glauca; Anderson et al 2006). The problem, in our view, with assigning glacial refugia to coldadapted species is that they generally have a larger distribution during cold stages than during periods of warm climate (e.g.…”