mtDNA evidence for a local northern latitude Pleistocene refugium for the root vole (Microtus oeconomus,Arvicolinae, Rodentia) from Eastern Poland

We analysed the genetic structure of 33 populations of the root vole (tundra vole, Microtus oeconomus, Pallas, 1776) inhabiting their typical habitats, located at different distances from the southern boundary of the species’ range (52°14′–53°56′ N) in eastern Poland. We determined its phylogeographic pattern as well as the possible occurrence of a small, local high‐latitude refugium of this species in southern Poland, previously suggested in palaeontological studies. 908 bp of cytochrome b sequences were analysed from 439 root voles, and 21 mtDNA cytb haplotypes belonging to the Central European (CE) phylogroup were found. Haplotype diversity in the examined populations varied between 0 and 0.872 (mean: 0.425 ± 0.332), while nucleotide diversity ranged between 0 and 0.62% (mean: 0.235% ± 0.217). Within the CE phylogroup of M. oeconomus, we identified with high bootstrap support a newly separated group of M. oeconomus that evolved from CE, denoted CE‐PL S. This group is located in the southern and central part of eastern Poland and most likely diverged from phylogroup CE in a small, cryptic refugium situated in southern Poland, in the Kraków‐Cz?stochowa Upland and/or the Holy Cross Mountains during the LGM and Younger Dryas.