Italy as a major ice age refuge area for the bat Myotis myotis (Chiroptera : Vespertilionidae) in Europe

摘要: The distribution of biota from the temperate regions changed considerably during climatic fluctuations Quaternary. This is especially true for many bat species that depend on warm roosts to install their nursery colonies. Surveys genetic variation among European bats have shown southern peninsulas (Iberia and Balkans) harbour endemic diversity, but date, no such surveys been conducted in third potential glacial refuge area, Apennine peninsula. We report here phylogeographical analysis 115 greater mouse-eared (Myotis myotis) sampled throughout Italy, show 15 18 different haplotypes found mitochondrial control region these were unique Colonies within this also showed substantial structure at both (Phi(ST) = 0.47, P < 0.001) nuclear markers (F(ST) 0.039, 0.001). Based a comprehensive survey 575 Europe, further indicate central Italian populations M. myotis are more closely related Greek samples across Adriatic Sea, than other bats. Mouse-eared peninsula thus represent complex mixture several lineages, which evolved situ, with others colonized recently along an route. Our broad confirms Alps relatively impermeable barrier gene flow even vagile animals as These results underline conservation value need include order provide accurate view evolution Europe.