Fancy mice, Mus musculus domesticusWIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Researchers have created genome-wide, high-resolution genetic maps of 100 inbred mouse strains. Compared with wild-derived strains, most of today's classical lab strains have limited genetic diversity and overwhelmingly originate from a single species of domestic mouse, the researchers report.
The findings resolve competing views on the origins and composition of laboratory mice. The paper, published online this week in Nature Genetics, also unveils an online tool with which scientists can visualize detailed genetic data and phylogeny trees of inbred and wild-derived mouse strains to decide which strains are likely to be most useful in an experiment.
"It's a really nice paper. It sorts out the controversy of what the background of these animals really is," said Elizabeth Fisher, a neuroscientist at University College London who ...
