Origin of cultural landscape biota of Central and Northwest Europe: genetic evidence of population expansions of Perdix perdix at the introduction and expansion of agriculture

Summary

In view of the dramatic climatic and vegetation changes during Quaternary, and later man-induced changes, three hypotheses may be proposed to explain the timing of the population expansion of the grey partridge (Perdix perdix) in Western Europe: A) Northwards expansion started shortly after onset of late Quaternary warming (temperate climate zone bird); B) Expansion depended on initial clearing for cultivation and by animal husbandry (non-forest landscape bird); C) Expansion started when cultivated fields and pastures became dominant landscape features after ca. 700 BP. These hypotheses were tested analysing population structure, isolation by distance and timing of demographic and spatial population expansions reflected by mtDNA control region. Timing of expansion was compared to the rate of agricultural expansion based on the first firm records of agriculture using 14C-dating. The observed significant time lag between timing of agricultural and grey partridge expansions suggests that expansion of the latter depended on transition to as well as intensification of agriculture. We conclude that dispersal of the western grey partridge from the southern refugia probably followed expansion of extensive crop cultivation (“following the plough”).