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<p>Rodents are a major component of mammalian biodiversity and pose persistent threats as agricultural pests across India. Despite their ecological and economic significance, molecular insights into their evolutionary relationships across diverse Indian regions, including the underrepresented northwestern region, remain scarce. This study explores the genetic diversity, phylogeographic patterns, and population structure of key rodent species <i>Rattus tanezumi</i>, <i>Bandicota bengalensis</i>, <i>Mus musculus</i>, and <i>Mus terricolor</i> sampled from Punjab, Rajasthan, and Assam, using mitochondrial Cytochrome <i>b</i> (<i>Cytb</i>) sequences. Forty-six samples, analyzed alongside global reference sequences, underwent phylogenetic reconstruction, haplotype network generation, and neutrality testing. The phylogenetic trees and median-joining networks revealed high haplotype diversity, particularly in <i>R. tanezumi,</i> indicating recent demographic expansions and gene flow with populations from China. In <i>Mus</i> spp., regional structuring of <i>M. terricolor</i>, <i>M. musculus</i>, and <i>M. m. castaneus</i> was evident, while widespread haplotypes of <i>M. musculus</i> suggest ancestral dispersal events across Asia. <i>Bandicota</i> spp. exhibited a star-like network with <i>B. bengalensis</i> at its core, and a peripheral placement of <i>B. bengalensis gracilis</i> aligning with Sri Lankan isolates, implying ancient biogeographic divergence. Neutrality tests supported demographic expansion in <i>Rattus</i> and <i>Mus</i>, while <i>Bandicota</i> showed mixed demographic signals. This study highlights the utility of mtDNA markers in detecting cryptic diversity and clarifying the evolutionary dynamics of rodent populations shaped by both natural processes and human influence. It represents the first comparative phylogeographic study using a mitochondrial marker across diverse Indian regions and provides insights relevant to taxonomy, conservation, and rodent pest management in South Asia.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>

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Molecular phylogeny, haplotype diversity and genetic polymorphism in Indian rodents inferred from mitochondrial Cytb sequences

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年10月4日

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  • Rakesh Belludi,
  • Dimple Mandla,
  • Neena Singla,
  • Vipin Chaudhary

摘要

Rodents are a major component of mammalian biodiversity and pose persistent threats as agricultural pests across India. Despite their ecological and economic significance, molecular insights into their evolutionary relationships across diverse Indian regions, including the underrepresented northwestern region, remain scarce. This study explores the genetic diversity, phylogeographic patterns, and population structure of key rodent species Rattus tanezumi, Bandicota bengalensis, Mus musculus, and Mus terricolor sampled from Punjab, Rajasthan, and Assam, using mitochondrial Cytochrome b (Cytb) sequences. Forty-six samples, analyzed alongside global reference sequences, underwent phylogenetic reconstruction, haplotype network generation, and neutrality testing. The phylogenetic trees and median-joining networks revealed high haplotype diversity, particularly in R. tanezumi, indicating recent demographic expansions and gene flow with populations from China. In Mus spp., regional structuring of M. terricolor, M. musculus, and M. m. castaneus was evident, while widespread haplotypes of M. musculus suggest ancestral dispersal events across Asia. Bandicota spp. exhibited a star-like network with B. bengalensis at its core, and a peripheral placement of B. bengalensis gracilis aligning with Sri Lankan isolates, implying ancient biogeographic divergence. Neutrality tests supported demographic expansion in Rattus and Mus, while Bandicota showed mixed demographic signals. This study highlights the utility of mtDNA markers in detecting cryptic diversity and clarifying the evolutionary dynamics of rodent populations shaped by both natural processes and human influence. It represents the first comparative phylogeographic study using a mitochondrial marker across diverse Indian regions and provides insights relevant to taxonomy, conservation, and rodent pest management in South Asia.

Graphical abstract