Phylogeographic structure of the Common hamster (Cricetus cricetus L.): Late Pleistocene connections between Caucasus and Western European populations

Abstract

The Common hamster (Cricetus cricetus) is one of the most endangered mammals in Western and Central Europe. Its genetic diversity in Russia and Kazakhstan was investigated for the first time. The analysis of sequences of an mtDNA control region and cytochrome b gene revealed at least three phylogenetic lineages. Most of the species range (approximately 3 million km2), including central Russia, Crimea, the Ural region, and northern Kazakhstan), is inhabited by a single, well-supported phylogroup, E0. Phylogroup E1, previously reported from southeastern Poland and western Ukraine, was first described from Russia (Bryansk Province). E0 and E1 are sister lineages but both are monophyletic and separated by considerable genetic distance. Hamsters inhabiting Ciscaucasia represent a separate, distant phylogenetic lineage, named “Caucasus”. It is sister to the North phylogroup from Western Europe and the contemporary phylogeography for this species is discussed considering new data. These data enabled us to develop a new hypothesis to propose that in the Late Pleistocene, the continuous range of the Common hamster in the northern Mediterranean extended from the central and southern parts of modern France to the Caucasus; however, its distribution was subsequently interrupted, likely because of climate change.

Maternal genomic variability of the wild boar (Sus scrofa) reveals the uniqueness of East‐Caucasian and Central Italian populations

“…the analysis of whole mtDNA genome could lead to new and important inferences about the origin and diversification of S. scrofa populations. A similar trend involving the proximity of Caucasian and Mediterranean haplotypes has also been reported for common hamster (Cricetus cricetus), byFeoktistova et al (2017). The results of our study revealed the peculiar haplotype composition of the wild boar inhabiting two specific areas: East-Caucasus (Dagestan) and Central Italy.…”

“…Most interesting was the similarity of Central Italian and Caucasian haplotypes (as shown by TreeMix analysis,Figure 5). A similar trend involving the proximity of Caucasian and Mediterranean haplotypes has also been reported for common hamster (Cricetus cricetus), byFeoktistova et al (2017). This could explain the presence of two genetic lineages in the territory of modern Italy, as shown by a number of previous studies(Larson et al, 2005;Scandura et al, 2008).…”

About the Border between Two Phylogroups of the Common Hamster (Cricetus cricetus) (Cricetinae, Rodentia)

“…In our study concerning phylogeography of the Common hamster in Russia and Kazakhstan (Feoktistova et al, 2017) we discovered the single E1 haplotype in Bryansk province in Western Russia. Whereas more eastern territories of Western Russia, Volga region, Ural, and Northern Kazakhstan are populated by hamsters of another mitochondrial phylogroup, we named E0.…”

“…As markers of phylogenetic lineages, we used sequences of mitochondrial control region and cytochrome b (cytb) gene. DNA extraction and amplification were done according to the method described earlier (Feoktistova et al, 2017). The sequences were obtained using the BigDye Terminator v. 3.1 kit and sequencing on a Genetic Analyzer 3500 (Thermo Fisher Scientific).…”

Phylogeographic structure in the chromosomally polymorphic rodentCricetulus barabensissensu lato (Mammalia, Cricetidae)

“…campbelli within the last pair had been considered disputable until evidence of reproductive isolation was obtained (Sokolov & Vasilieva, ). The distance between morphologically distinct subspecies M. raddei avaricus and M. r. nigriculus was estimated at 2.3% (Neumann et al., ), while that between the two most divergent lineages (subspecies) of Cricetus cricetus was close to 1.5% (Neumann et al., ; Feoktistova et al., ). Important exceptions to the former cases are presented by Allocricetulus , where the distance between chromosomally distinct species A. eversmanni and A. curtatus is just 2% (GenBank: , , ), and by Anatolian populations of M. brandti , in which haplotypes differing at up to 9% were found to co‐occur (Neumann et al., ); however, both these situations require additional examination.…”