Genetic divergence in the genus Arvicanthis (Rodentia: Murinae)

Allozyme variation in four species of Arvicanthis ( Arvicanthis sp. from Benin, A. abyssinicus, A. blicki, and A. dembeensis from Ethiopia) was studied by means of allozyme electrophoresis at 25 presumptive gene loci. Arvicanthis sp. showed high genetic differentiation from the three Ethiopian species ( D = 0.839 ). Conversely, little genetic differentiation ( D = 0.073) was observed between the sibling species A. abyssinicus and A. blicki, which are genetically more closely related to each other than to A. dembeensis ( D = 0.234 ). This pattern is consistent with that based on chromosome rearrangements.