Page 14 - Renaud_Michaux_2007
P. 14
S. Renaud and J. R. Michaux
(Lenormand, 2002). However, genetic mixing over Europe is
REFERENCES
probably not important enough to prevent any adaptive
latitudinal differences in gene frequencies (Davis & Shaw, Adler, G.H. & Levins, R. (1994) The island syndrome in
2001) and mitochondrial DNA markers fail to reveal any rodent populations. The Quarterly Review of Biology, 69,
significant geographical structure within the western European 473–490.
clade (Michaux et al., 2003). Gene flow might nevertheless Alca `ntara, M. (1991) Geographical variation in body size of the
buffer small-scale environmental variations and favour a clinal Wood Mouse Apodemus sylvaticus L. Mammal Review, 21,
pattern on the mainland. 143–150.
Second, the breakdown of gene flow on islands should leave Angelstam, P., Hansson, L. & Phersson, S. (1987) Distribution
the populations free to track local environmental conditions. borders of field mice Apodemus: the importance of seed
Alternatively, the importance of contingent effects is enhanced abundance and landscape composition. Oikos, 50, 123–130.
on islands, due to the founder effect and subsequent drift in Angerbjo ¨rn, A. (1986) Gigantism in island populations of
populations of reduced effective size. Founder effects should be wood mice (Apodemus) in Europe. Oikos, 47, 47–56.
more important on remote islands that are difficult to Atchley, W.R., Cowley, D.E., Vogl, C. & McLellan, T. (1992)
colonize, whereas drift should be favoured on small islands. Evolutionary divergence, shape change, and genetic corre-
Despite these random effects, most of the post-colonization lation structure in the rodent mandible. Systematic Biology,
changes on islands are attributed to adaptation (Berry, 1996; 41, 196–221.
¨
Losos et al., 1998; Pergams & Ashley, 2001). Our results Bergmann, C. (1847) Uber die Verha ¨ltnisse der Wa ¨rmeo ¨k-
support both the importance of contingency and adaptation in onomie der Thiere zu ihrer Gro ¨sse. Go ¨ttinger Studien, 3,
the patterns of morphological differentiation. The latter 595–708.
corresponds to common trends shared by independent insular Berry, R.J. (1973) Chance and change in British long-tailed
populations whereas the former will be expressed as shape field mice (Apodemus sylvaticus). Journal of Zoology, London,
features unique to one island. Such patterns are exhibited in 170, 351–366.
multivariate space on axes subsequent to the first ones, Berry, R.J. (1996) Small mammal differentiation on islands.
displaying the major trends of latitude and/or adaptive insular Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, London B,
effect (see also Renaud & Millien, 2001; Renaud & Michaux, 351, 753–764.
2003). They are thus not mutually exclusive of adaptive trends Brehm, A., Khadem, M., Jesus, J., Andrade, P. & Vicente, L.
and their importance in the pattern of the morphological (2001) Lack of congruence between morphometric evolu-
differentiation will depend on the relative impact of the other tion and genetic differentiation suggests a recent dispersal
factors. and local habitat adaptation of the Madeiran lizard Lacerta
Lastly, the breakdown of gene flow on islands allows dugesii. Genetics Selection Evolution, 33, 671–685.
adaptive changes to occur very rapidly compared to the Bresin, A., Kiliardis, S. & Strid, K.-G. (1999) Effect of masti-
accumulation of genetic divergence (Vitt et al., 1997; Brehm catory function on the internal bone structure in the
et al., 2001). The importance of adaptation is supported in this mandible of the growing rat. European Journal of Oral Sci-
study by common trends emerging from the different insular ences, 107, 35–44.
populations that share similar molar morphological features. Bu ¨nger, L. & Hill, W. (1999) Role of growth hormone in the
Nevertheless, the complexity of the factors involved constitutes genetic change of mice divergently selected for body weight
a limit to any predictive scenario. The pattern of morpholo- and fatness. Genetical Research, Cambridge, 74, 351–360.
gical divergence will rely on the character and the specific Cheverud, J.M., Routman, E.J. & Irschick, D.J. (1997) Pleio-
environment (e.g. the island), with additional influence from tropic effects of individual gene loci on mandibular mor-
competition, predation, degree of isolation, population size phology. Evolution, 51, 2006–2016.
and vegetation. We suggest that a combined morphological, Cucchi, T. (2005) Le commensalisme de la souris et les pre-
developmental and genetic approach can shed light on the mie `res socie ´te ´sne ´oliyhiques me ´diterrane ´ennes. The `se,
constraints on responses of organisms to natural selection. Muse ´um National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris.
Damuth, J. (1993) Cope’s rule, the island rule and the scaling
of mammalian population density. Nature, 365, 748–750.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Davis, M.B. & Shaw, R.G. (2001) Range shift and adaptive
We thank Thomas Cucchi for numerous fruitful discussions responses to Quaternary climate change. Science, 292, 673–
and comments. The reviews of N. Navarro and J.-D. Vigne 679.
were very constructive and greatly contributed to the improve- Dayan, T. & Simberloff, D. (1998) Size patterns among com-
ment of this manuscript. The final version of the manuscript petitors: ecological character displacement and character
benefited from the comments of Julie Prytulak, especially release in mammals, with special reference to island popu-
regarding the proper use of the English language. This research lations. Mammal Review, 28, 99–124.
was supported by IFB, GDR 2474 CNRS ‘Morphome ´trie et Duarte, L.C., Monteiro, L.R., Von Zuben, F.J. & Dos Reis, S.F.
Evolution des Formes’, Re ´gion-Rho ˆne-Alpes, and Belgian (2000) Variation in mandible shape in Thrichomys aper-
FNRS. eoides (Mammalia: Rodentia): geometric analysis of a
352 Journal of Biogeography 34, 339–355
ª 2006 The Authors. Journal compilation ª 2006 Blackwell Publishing Ltd