Genetic relationship among the musk shrews,Suncus murinus insectivora, inhabiting islands and the continent based on mitochondrial DNA types

Abstract

Cleavage patterns of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) by restriction endonucleases were examined in musk shrews collected at six trapping sites on two Japanese and two Indonesian islands, on Sri Lanka, situated close to the Indian subcontinent, and on the mainland of East Bengal in Bangladesh. No variation of mtDNAs was found among the Japanese and Indonesian shrews, despite their geographical isolation by the sea. In contrast, at least six mtDNA types were present in the Sri Lanka and the Bangladesh populations (three types for each), and these two populations seemed to be differentiated to the extent, which could be compared to the “mice-intersubspecific” differences. These populations were also differentiated from the Japanese-Indonesian type. Furthermore, a similar level of differentiation was also estimated between two mtDNA types within these respective populations. This feral species might be considered unique because of its high emigration rate caused by human movements and its high rate of subspecific hybridization.