Mitochondrial DNA and palaeontological evidence for the origins of endangered European mink, Mustela lutreola

Abstract

The European mink Mustela lutreola is one of Europe's most endangered carnivores, with few vulnerable populations remaining. Surprisingly, a recent phylogeny placed a single mink specimen within the polecat (M. putorius, M. eversmannii) group, suggesting a recent speciation and/or the effects of hybridization. The analysis has now been extended to a further 51 mink and polecats. As before, phylogenetic methods failed to resolve the relationships between the species. One haplotype (C11) was found in both species, and predominated in European mink from Spain and eastern Europe. The known M. lutreola fossils are of very young date, so either mink arose recently, or else the situation is confused by hybridization and a biased fossil recovery. The study highlights the dangers of using a single genetic marker in defining Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESUs). Polecats and European mink are clearly distinct in their morphology and ecology, and should still be considered as separate ESUs, but without further data it is difficult to define Management Units. Following the precautionary principle, we recommend that for the moment European mink in eastern Europe (Belarus, Estonia and Russia) and Spain should be managed separately.

Is the western population of the European mink, (Mustela lutreola), a distinct Management Unit for conservation?

“…Mitochondrial studies have suggested that European mink is most closely related to the polecat (Mustela putorius) or to the steppe polecat (Mustela eversmanni), though the similarity may be a consequence of hybridization, in the late Pleistocene or Holocene (Davison et al, 2000). A nuclear DNA study seems to confirm this (Sato et al in press).…”

“…In fact, it is possible that European mink were never distributed across most of western Europe during the Holocene. The fossil record is sparse (Davison et al, 2000), with the only confirmed records being an undated, probably Holocene, skull from Moscow District, another Holocene specimen from the Netherlands, material from the Polish site of Biskupin, and from the Romanian site of the 'La Adam' Cave (references in Davison et al, 2000). Although there is no direct evidence, there has also been some debate as to whether the western population is a recent introduction.…”

“…A few studies have begun to investigate genetic variation in European mink, confirming that their superficial resemblance to American mink (M. vison) is a result of convergent evolution (Davison et al, 1999(Davison et al, , 2000Kurose et al, 2000;Hosoda et al, 2000). Mitochondrial studies have suggested that European mink is most closely related to the polecat (Mustela putorius) or to the steppe polecat (Mustela eversmanni), though the similarity may be a consequence of hybridization, in the late Pleistocene or Holocene (Davison et al, 2000).…”

“…For population genetic analysis, a cytochrome b fragment from 30 eastern European mink and seven Spanish animals has been sequenced previously, along with a more restricted D-loop fragment sample (Davison et al, 2000). The resulting phylogeny did not resolve the relationships of the species, probably due to hybridization and also because of low sequence variation.…”

Defining Environmental Risk Assessment Criteria for Genetically Modified (GM) Mammals and Birds to be placed on the EU market

“…EFSA reserves its rights, view and position as regards the issues addressed and the conclusions reached in the present document, without prejudice to the rights of the authors. (Davison et al, 2000;Lode, Guiral & Peltier, 2005). The domestic ferret (Mustela furo) can hybridise with the polecat (Mustela putorius), which is recorded across most of Europe (Davison et al, 2001).…”