birding-aus

Off topic - Mouse ID

To: <>, <>, <>
Subject: Off topic - Mouse ID
From: clive herbert <>
Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:37:55 +0100
Dear John,

You are correct that there are few refernces to the new Mus domesticus name for 
House Mouse in the "common" literature - I was quoting from the new "Mammals of 
the British Isles Handbook 4th edition" published by the Mammal Society in 2008 
and edited by Prof. Stephen Harris (Bristol University) and Dr. Derek Yalden 
(Manchester University, retired) in my summary. I deliberately kept it to a 
summary because it was off-topic and I'm not sure how strict the moderator is 
here about on-going non-avian discussions.

However, to expand slightly on my earlier comments, M. domesticus was 
originally only considered to be sub-specifically distinct by some authors 
(e.g. J.T. Marshall, 1986, "Systematics of the genus Mus" published in Current 
topics in Microbiology & Immunology 127: 12-18). Later studies revealed much 
polymorphism both within and between populations (e.g. A.W. Ryan, 1993, 
"Polymorphism, localisation and geographical transfer of mitochondrial DNA in 
Mus musculus domesticus (Irish house mouse)" published in Heredity: 70: 75-81).

There then followed a series of much more recent (2005) papers, all published 
in the Biological Journal of the Linnaen Society No. 84, as follows:
PW Tucker et al " Phylogenetic relationships in the sub-genus Mus: examining 
gene trees and species trees" pages 653-662.
N. Raufaste et al " Inferences of selection and migration in the Danish house 
mouse hybrid zone" pages 593-616
J. Britton-Davidson et al " Post-zygoticisolation between two European 
sub-species of the house mouse: estimates from fertility patterns in wild & 
laboratory hybrids" pages 379-393
E. Bozikova et al "Mitochondrial DNA in the hybrid zone between M.m.m. and 
M.m.d.: a comparison of two transects" pages 363-378.

>From the latest research the sub-species werethen recogised as full species, 
>at least in Britain, and hence we ended up with Mus domesticus.
Well you did ask to be pointed in the direction of some references....!!!

Clive Herbert

Director

Amphibian Reptile Mammal Conservation Ltd

67A Ridgeway Avenue

East Barnet

Hertfordshire
England

EN4 8TL




Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2010 21:18:43 +1000
From: 
To: 
CC: ; 
Subject: Off topic - Mouse ID







Hi Clive and others,
according to the latest Mammals of Australia 3rd Edition edited by Van Dyck and 
Strahan (2008) Mus musculus is still the species name given to House Mouse in 
Australia. I have heard of it referred to as M. domesticus but as yet I haven't 
found a reference to that name in the "common" literature at least.

May be something our taxonomists need to check on. I am happy to be corrected 
or pointed in the direction of references to the contrary.




Yours in all things "green"

Regards

John Harris
Manager, Environment and Sustainability
Donvale Christian College
155 Tindals Rd Donvale 3111
03 9844 2471  Ext 217
0409 090 955


President, Field Naturalists Club of Victoria (FNCV)
Past President, Victorian Association for Environmental Education (VAEE)


>>> clive herbert <> 29/09/2010 8:40 PM >>>

The correct specific name for the House Mouse that we have in Britain is Mus 
domesticus not Mus musculus. Originally the introduced House Mouse in Western 
Europe (including Britain) was regarded as one variable species Mus musculus. 
Several species have now been recognised, including M. spretis (Iberia), M. 
domesticus (rest of western Europe) and M. musculus (eastern Europe) which meet 
but scarcely interbreed along a line from Denmark to the Dalmatian coast. All 
of the lab mice etc are from M. domesticus. Assuming that the introduced 
population present in Australia will most likely to have originated from the 
UK, rather than mainland Europe, then your species should now be called M. 
domesticus.

Clive Herbert

Director

Amphibian, Reptile & Mammal Conservation Ltd

67A Ridgeway Avenue

East Barnet

Hertfordshire
England

EN4 8TL




> From: 
> To: 
> Date: Tue, 28 Sep 2010 11:30:32 +1000
> Subject: [Birding-Aus] Off topic - Mouse ID
>
> Thanks to all the people who responded to my request - nearly universally
> the mouse was identified as a plain old house mouse, Mus Musculus.
>
> Bill
>
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