New insights into the microevolutionnary process of the Orkney vole (Microtus arvalis orcadensis)

• Main Authors: Cucchi, T., Barnett, R., Dobney, K., Martínková, N. (Natália), Searle, J. B.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: Orkney vole; Common vole; Microtus arvalis
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0207347

The endemic form of the common vole, present in the Orkney archipelago, UK, remains one of the greatest biogeographic puzzles in Europe. Its peculiar distribution is nowadays explained by a human-mediated translocation. The aim of the Orkney vole project was to readdress the question of its origin, dispersal and evolution using combined approaches of molar shape and mtDNA analyses on a large dataset of both modern and ancient samples, integrated with the extensive archaeological record from Orkney. In this paper, we will focus on the phenotypic microevolution behind the morphological characteristics of the Orkney vole using molar shape analyses with sliding semilandmarks approach. Results suggest that the Orkney vole uniqueness is the result of a fast and ongoing diversification process mainly driven by stochastic vicariance.