[The Existence in Europe of Four Groups of Mice (genus Mus L.) of Species and Subspecies Rank, Demonstrated by Biochemical Genetics]

Analysis at 20 genetic loci by starch gel electrophoresis of a population from Greece shows that contrary to most accepted views, the outdoor Eastern Mediterranean Short-tailed Mouse (i) does not belong to the same species as the House Mouse (Mus musculus), (ii) is not less distant from the Eastern European semi-species of House Mouse (biochemical group 2) than from the Western and Mediterranean European semi-species (group 1), and (iii) is not more closely related to the outdoor Western Mediterranean Short-tailed Mouse Mus spretus (group 3), than to M. musculus. It represents a new biochemical group (group 4) and deserves a species rank (Mus spicilegus).