Evidence for a mitochondrial lineage originating from the Arabian peninsula in the Madagascar house mouse (Mus musculus).
Various subspecies of the house mouse (Mus musculus sensu lato) are known to have contributed to its worldwide expansion. However, the origin of mice on some larger islands such as Madagascar has remained unknown, with several sources being possible. In order to classify the Malagasy house mouse, individuals were trapped in 13 different localities distributed throughout the island. For 33 individuals the control region (D-Loop) of the mitochondrial DNA was partially sequenced and 21 males were typed for a Zfy-2 polymorphism of the Y chromosome. Malagasy mt DNA lineages constitute a narrow monophyletic group which suggests a recent and probably single origin, and are very close to the gentilulus mitochondrial lineages from Yemen. This was supported by the fact that all the males have the domesticus type Y chromosome, like gentilulus. From these results, it can be inferred that the Malagasy house mice originate probably from the Arabian peninsula in a single colonisation wave, unlike its human population. Our results provide a better molecular description of the Yemeni-Malagasy mitochondrial clade which clearly belongs to the Mus musculus radiation.