Phylogenetics and Population Genetics of the Asian House Shrew, < em > Suncus murinus-S. montanus < /em > Species Complex, Inferred From Whole-Genome and Mitochondrial DNA Sequences, with Special Reference to the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan

In this study, we conducted phylogenetic and population genetic analyses based on both nuclear and mitochondrial genome sequences of house shrews. Phylogenetic analyses based on mitochondrial cytochrome b (cytb) sequences revealed that shrews from the Ryukyu Archipelago showed strong genetic affinity to Vietnamese and southern Chinese shrews. Demographic analyses of cytb sequences indicated a rapid population expansion event affecting the haplotype group in Vietnam, southern China, and the Ryukyu Archipelago 3300-7900 years ago. Furthermore, gene flow between Ryukyu (Yonaguni Island) and Taiwan and between Ryukyu and Vietnam inferred from f4 statistics of the nuclear genomes suggested repeated immigration to Ryukyu in recent years. The present study demonstrates that the Nagasaki population has a different origin from the Ryukyu population. These findings elucidate the complex pattern of genetic admixture in house shrews and provide insights into their evolutionary history.PMID:38587917 | DOI:10.2108/zs230030
Source: Zoological Science - Category: Zoology Authors: Source Type: research