Temporal genetic variation of the red fox, Vulpes vulpes, across western Europe and the British Isles.

ABSTRACT: Quaternary climatic fluctuations have had profound effects on the phylogeographic structure of many species. Classically, species were thought to have become isolated in peninsular refugia, but there is limited evidence that large, non-polar species survived outside traditional refugial areas. We examined the phylogeographic structure of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), a species that shows high ecological adaptability in the western Palaearctic region. We compared mitochondrial DNA sequences (cytochrome b and control region) from 399 modern and 31 ancient individuals from across Europe. Our objective was to test whether red foxes colonised the British Isles from mainland Europe in the late Pleistocene, or whether there is evidence that they persisted in the region through the La

SUBMITTER: Edwards CJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3778924 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature