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188 J . R. Michaux et al. Hereditas 129 (1998)
As far as the Balearic islands are concerned, it is distinctions, however, give no information about the
well known that the endemic mammal fauna of the actual origin of the animals.
archipelago has been completely replaced by man-in-
troduced species. Most of these introductions took In this paper, we intend to study the mtDNA
place during the Holocene. From archaeozoological variability of Iberian wood mice, including animals
data, it is established that the presence of the wood from the Balearic islands and to compare their
mouse dates back to at least 6000 years B.P. in mtDNA restriction patterns with others from differ-
Mallorca and to 3300 y B.P. on Menorca (REUMER ent continental areas. In this way, we hope to get
and SANDERS1984; VIGNE and ALCOVER1985), more information about the influence of the Pyrenees
when human exchanges were already quite common on the postglacial recolonisation of Europe by the
between the archipelago and either the European or wood mouse, to know to what extent the Iberian
African coasts (GUILAINE1976; CAMPS1990). Con- populations of this species are differentiated and to
sequently, different hypotheses about the geographic understand the origin of its settlement in the Balearic
origin of the species in these islands can be inferred, archipelago.
especially if we consider that some small mammal
insular parasites (fleas) undoubtedly have an African MATERIAL AND METHODS
origin whereas others have clearly European or
Eurasiatic affinities (BEAUCOURNUand ALCOVER The wood mice and the yellow necked mouse were
1984). trapped in ‘Manufrance’ or in ‘Sherman’ traps previ-
ously baited. The sampling localities (two lines of 40
Owing to its overall bigger size and heavier weight, traps at 5 m. interval and distant of about 200 m.
compared to continental references (ALCOVERand from each other) are spread all over Spain and Portu-
GOSALBEZ1988), the wood mouse of Ibiza has re- gal as well as in Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca. Un-
ceived a distinct subspecific status: A. s. eivisserisis successful attempts were also made on Formentera. A
ALCOVER1977. Still heavier and bigger than those of special effort of capture was made in the vicinity of
Ibiza, the wood mice of Formentera were also de- La Coruiia (locus typicus of the subspecies A. s.
scribed as a separate subspecies: A . s. fiumentariae callipides) and also on the French slopes of the
SANS-COMAand KAHMANN1977. These taxonomic Pyrenees as well as in the Massif Central. Additional
Fig. 1. Geographic distribution of the wood mice trapping localities. The codes refer to Table 1 .
