Macquarie Island House mice: A genetical isolate on a sub‐Antarctic island

摘要: Macquarie Island (54°37'S; 158°54'E) lies half-way between Australia and the Antarctic Continent, 400 miles from nearest land. Its climate is wet, windy, cool cloudy. The mean annual temperature 4.7°C, ranges only 3.1°C in coldest month to 6.7°C warmest. Despite these inclement conditions, House mice (Mux museulus) live over most of island (up at least 1000 feet), apparently thrive. They breed all year round. Their diet seems be largely seeds cabbage (Stilocarpa polaris), supplemented by insects. The object study was determine effect life an equable but stressful environment for mice. animals were not remarkable any morphological traits, although they fairly large had relatively short tails. However six 17 gene-loci investigated electrophoretically polymorphic. average heterozygosity 6.8%, similar living under much more fluctuating conditions Northern Hemisphere. frequency Hbbd allele decreased 71 ± 6 % three months age 54±5% older ones. This change marked caught well away human habitation.