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<p>Anatolia served as a critical glacial refugium for Palearctic biota during the Pleistocene; however, the evolutionary history of the hazel dormouse (<i>Muscardinus avellanarius</i>) in this region has remained largely unexplored. We investigated the phylogeographic structure and divergence times of Turkish <i>M. avellanarius</i> populations using mitochondrial (NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1, <i>ND1</i>) and nuclear (apolipoprotein B, <i>ApoB</i>) DNA markers. Mitochondrial phylogenetic analyses revealed a deep, reciprocally monophyletic split (3.7% <i>p</i>-distance) between two distinct lineages: a western lineage (<i>M. a. abanticus</i>) and an eastern lineage (<i>M. a. trapezius</i>). Bayesian inference based on the <i>ND1</i> dataset dated this divergence to approximately 2.26&#xa0;million years ago (Mya), placing the split in the Early Pleistocene, coincident with the intensification of glacial cycles across northern Anatolia. Mismatch distributions and neutrality tests provided no evidence of recent demographic expansion, instead suggesting long-term persistence and stability within isolated micro-refugia. In contrast, the nuclear <i>ApoB</i> marker exhibited a shallow topology with limited geographic resolution. Our mitochondrial results—when interpreted alongside previously documented morphological and karyological differences—suggest that these lineages are best managed as distinct management units (MUs) within a precautionary conservation framework. Our findings highlight northern Anatolian mountain systems as an internally structured refugial zone that fostered independent evolutionary trajectories within <i>M. avellanarius</i>, emphasizing Anatolia’s role in maintaining unique intraspecific genetic diversity.</p>

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Pleistocene legacy shapes mitochondrial divergence and genetic structure in the hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) in Anatolia

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月16日

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  • Müge Kocaay,
  • Ercüment Çolak

摘要

Anatolia served as a critical glacial refugium for Palearctic biota during the Pleistocene; however, the evolutionary history of the hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) in this region has remained largely unexplored. We investigated the phylogeographic structure and divergence times of Turkish M. avellanarius populations using mitochondrial (NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1, ND1) and nuclear (apolipoprotein B, ApoB) DNA markers. Mitochondrial phylogenetic analyses revealed a deep, reciprocally monophyletic split (3.7% p-distance) between two distinct lineages: a western lineage (M. a. abanticus) and an eastern lineage (M. a. trapezius). Bayesian inference based on the ND1 dataset dated this divergence to approximately 2.26 million years ago (Mya), placing the split in the Early Pleistocene, coincident with the intensification of glacial cycles across northern Anatolia. Mismatch distributions and neutrality tests provided no evidence of recent demographic expansion, instead suggesting long-term persistence and stability within isolated micro-refugia. In contrast, the nuclear ApoB marker exhibited a shallow topology with limited geographic resolution. Our mitochondrial results—when interpreted alongside previously documented morphological and karyological differences—suggest that these lineages are best managed as distinct management units (MUs) within a precautionary conservation framework. Our findings highlight northern Anatolian mountain systems as an internally structured refugial zone that fostered independent evolutionary trajectories within M. avellanarius, emphasizing Anatolia’s role in maintaining unique intraspecific genetic diversity.