TY - JOUR
T1 - Genetic diversity and phylogeography of the greater mouse-tailed bat Rhinopoma microphyllum (Brünnich, 1782) in the Levant
AU - Levin, Eran
AU - Yom-Tov, Yoram
AU - Barnea, Anat
AU - Huchon, Dorothee
PY - 2008
Y1 - 2008
N2 - The greater mouse-tailed bat (Rhinopoma microphyllum) possesses a large geographical range, covering most of the arid and warm areas of the Old World. We studied the genetic variability of this species using two mitochondrial markers (the cytochrome b gene and the control region), from several Israeli colonies and from over most of the species' range. Our results show that the cytochrome b sequences, unlike those of the control region, are too conserved to separate among R. microphyllum populations. Based on the control region sequences, a high level of sequence similarity was found within the Israeli population. Three clades were observed over the species' range: Oriental, Intermediate and Palaearctic. This division supports most of the traditional taxonomy of the species. The Israeli population, which belongs to the Palaearctic clade, was found to be isolated from the Oriental and Intermediate clades. We suggest that the colonization of the greater mouse-tailed bat in the Levant occurred from African populations during the late Pleistocene, when many Saharan plants and animals penetrated the northern part of the Great Rift Valley.
AB - The greater mouse-tailed bat (Rhinopoma microphyllum) possesses a large geographical range, covering most of the arid and warm areas of the Old World. We studied the genetic variability of this species using two mitochondrial markers (the cytochrome b gene and the control region), from several Israeli colonies and from over most of the species' range. Our results show that the cytochrome b sequences, unlike those of the control region, are too conserved to separate among R. microphyllum populations. Based on the control region sequences, a high level of sequence similarity was found within the Israeli population. Three clades were observed over the species' range: Oriental, Intermediate and Palaearctic. This division supports most of the traditional taxonomy of the species. The Israeli population, which belongs to the Palaearctic clade, was found to be isolated from the Oriental and Intermediate clades. We suggest that the colonization of the greater mouse-tailed bat in the Levant occurred from African populations during the late Pleistocene, when many Saharan plants and animals penetrated the northern part of the Great Rift Valley.
KW - Genetic diversity
KW - Levant
KW - MtDNA
KW - Rhinopoma microphyllum
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=62449174380&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3161/150811008X414791
DO - 10.3161/150811008X414791
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AN - SCOPUS:62449174380
SN - 1508-1109
VL - 10
SP - 207
EP - 212
JO - Acta Chiropterologica
JF - Acta Chiropterologica
IS - 2
ER -