Evolutionary history of the subgenus Mus in Eurasia with special emphasis on the House Mouse Mus musculus

Abstract

Elucidation of the evolutionary history of the subgenus Mus, including the House Mouse Mus musculus, is essential to understanding species diversification mechanisms in the Indomalayan region, which is a global biodiversity hotspot. In terms of interspecific relationships, the topography of India, Myanmar, and other Southeast Asian regions has been proposed to explain the speciation process and ecological niche diversification followed by range overlap after speciation. Recent research into mitochondrial DNA clocks has created the opportunity to reconstruct the detailed dynamics of M. musculus as affected by human activity. The resultant evolutionary scenarios are in good accordance with archaeological evidence observed in Asia, especially in China, Korea, and Japan.