Data from: Cryptic diversity in black rats Rattus rattus of the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

Human activity has facilitated the introduction of a number of alien mammal species to the Galápagos Archipelago. Understanding the phylogeographic history and population genetics of invasive species on the Archipelago is an important step in predicting future spread and designing effective management strategies. In this study, we describe the invasion pathway of Rattus rattus across the Galápagos using microsatellite data, coupled with historical knowledge. Microsatellite genotypes were generated for 581 R. rattus sampled from 15 islands in the archipelago. The genetic data suggest that there are at least three genetic lineages of R. rattus present on the Galápagos Islands. The spatial distributions of these lineages correspond to the main centers of human settlement in the archipelago. There was limited admixture among these three lineages, and these finding coupled with low rates of gene flow among island populations suggests that interisland movement of R. rattus is rare. The low migration among islands recorded for the species will have a positive impact on future eradication efforts.人类活动已将多种外来哺乳动物物种引入加拉帕戈斯群岛（Galápagos Archipelago）。解析该群岛入侵物种的系统地理学历史与种群遗传学特征，是预测其未来扩散、制定有效管理策略的关键环节。本研究结合历史资料与微卫星（microsatellite）数据，阐明了黑家鼠（Rattus rattus）在加拉帕戈斯群岛的入侵路径。研究团队对该群岛15个岛屿采集的581只黑家鼠进行了微卫星基因型分型。遗传数据分析结果显示，加拉帕戈斯群岛上的黑家鼠至少存在3个遗传谱系。这些谱系的空间分布与群岛内主要人类定居点高度契合。三个谱系间的基因混杂程度极低，结合岛屿种群间极低的基因流水平，表明黑家鼠的岛间移动极为罕见。该物种极低的岛间迁移率，将为未来的种群根除工作带来积极助力。