A study examines rodent extinction following European settlement of Australia. Since European colonization of Australia in 1788, the continent has recorded 34 terrestrial species lost to extinction, with rodents representing 41% of these extinctions. To examine the impact of European colonization on the extinction of rodents native to Australia, Emily Roycroft and colleagues analyzed genetic data from museum specimens of eight extinct Australian rodent species and their 42 extant relatives. Reduced genetic diversity was not detected in extinct rodent species prior to their decline and extinction in the 19th century and early 20th century. Large populations of now-extinct rodents existed in Australia prior to European colonization and were rapidly wiped out in approximately the past 200 years. Compared with small species, large species were more likely to become extinct, although extinction risk varied across biomes. Using phylogenetic analysis, the authors also determined that Gould's mouse, which was previously thought to be extinct, remains extant, albeit endangered, in Western Australia's Shark Bay. Overall, the findings reveal the drastic impact of European colonization on native species in Australia and suggest that genetic diversity does not guarantee protection from extinction, according to the authors.
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Article #20-21390: "Museum genomics reveals the rapid decline and extinction of Australian rodents since European settlement," by Emily Roycroft et al.
MEDIA CONTACT: Emily Roycroft, Australian National University, Canberra, AUSTRALIA; tel: +61-412-329-625; email: < emily.roycroft@gmail.com >
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences