2026-07-13 北海道大学
イラン南西部のジャコウネズミ。
＜関連情報＞
- https://www.hokudai.ac.jp/news/2026/07/post-2355.html
- https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article-abstract/207/3/zlag101/8722654
真無盲腸目・トガリネズミ科）のゲノム構造と生物地理学的歴史：南アジア及びインド洋地域における複数回の分散イベントの解明 Genomic structure and biogeographic history of the Asian house shrew, Suncus murinus–montanus species complex (Eulipotyphla: Soricidae), reveal multiple dispersal events across southern Asia and the Indian Ocean region
Hayato Torisu,Hitoshi Suzuki,Kazumichi Fujiwara,Satoru Arai,Saw Bawm,Chandika D Gamage,Masaharu Motokawa,Abdul Karim Nasher,Hasmahzaiti Omar,Marie Claudine Ranorosoa,…
Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society Published:01 July 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlag101
Abstract
The Asian house shrew (Suncus murinus–S. montanus species complex) is a small soricid mammal widely distributed across southern Asia and the Indian Ocean region. We examined the relative contributions of long-term natural divergence and human-mediated dispersal in shaping the genetic structure of house shrew populations across their geographic range. Previous studies have suggested that human-mediated introductions influenced its distribution, but comprehensive genome-wide analyses across the entire range have been lacking. Here, we analyse whole-genome data from 29 individuals and mitochondrial sequences from 219 individuals sampled across its range. Phylogenetic network analyses based on genome-wide single nucleotide variants revealed four major lineages: (i) the East-Southeast Asia main lineage, (ii) the Myanmar main lineage, (iii) the Sri Lanka lineage, and (iv) the South Asia–western Indian Ocean region lineage. Genomic analyses indicate recent admixture among regional populations, consistent with hybridization. Mitochondrial phylogenetic analyses further suggest human-mediated range expansion across regions. Divergence-time estimates indicate that dispersal events in Southeast Asia occurred after the onset of the Holocene. These results demonstrate that the present distribution of the Asian house shrew has been shaped by both natural divergence and recent human-mediated dispersal.
