Green C A, Gordon D H, Lyons N F
Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1978 May;27(3):627-9. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1978.27.627.
Plague has been known from countries surrounding Rhodesia from as early as 1935, but was first reported from Rhodesia in 1974. Part of our investigation of the complex ecosystem involving Yersinia pestis is critical assessment of the evolutionary status of natural populations belonging to formal, taxonomic species of implicated rodents. We present data on chromosomal and hemoglobin variation in sympatric populations and laboratory produced hybrids that give unequivocal evidence for at least two biologicql species in the taxon Praomys (Mastomys) natalensis. We argue for the usefulness of the biological species concept as a basis for any ecological investigation into pathogen biology.
早在1935年，罗得西亚周边国家就已发现鼠疫，但罗得西亚首次报告鼠疫是在1974年。我们对涉及鼠疫耶尔森菌的复杂生态系统进行调查的一部分，是对相关啮齿动物正式分类物种的自然种群进化状况进行批判性评估。我们提供了关于同域种群和实验室培育杂种的染色体及血红蛋白变异的数据，这些数据明确证明了南非多乳鼠（Mastomys natalensis）分类单元中至少存在两个生物学物种。我们认为生物学物种概念对于任何病原体生物学的生态调查都具有重要作用。
