Mus in Morocco: a Quaternary sequence of intraspecific evolution

摘要: North Africa is an intricate biogeographical region at the crossroads of immigration waves from tropical and Asia. Species confined between various barriers (Atlas Mountains, arid environments such as Sahara in south, water masses Mediterranean Sea north, Atlantic Ocean west) were generally forced to adapt locally environmental changes instead tracking their habitat by shifting distribution area. The present study aims providing first insight into evolution genus Mus, more specifically western species Mus spretus this relies on abundant Late Pleistocene Middle Holocene fossil assemblage El Harhoura 2 cave (Rabat-Temara, Morocco). This exceptional record was studied using geometric morphometrics applied upper lower molars, constituting most informative best preserved remains for small rodents. Two main issues addressed. (1) Geometric used clarify taxonomic status phylogenetic relationships among modern Morphometric analysis revealed good discrimination but failed document intermediate forms tracing anagenetic evolution. Not mutually exclusive, occurrence complex processes morphological parallel action stabilizing selection may make it difficult translate patterns conclusions. (2) shown a sequence intraspecific M. spretus. morphology molars through surprisingly stable despite extensive variation. limited temporal variation largely correlate palaeoenvironmental proxies. mouse thus presents intriguing case stasis changes. long-term stability have been recently perturbed anthropogenic factors including landscape introduction competitors predators, leading size reduction. © 2013 Linnean Society London, Biological Journal Society, 2013, 109, 599–621.