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. 2019 May 8;7:e6894. doi: 10.7717/peerj.6894

Figure 1. Schematic map showing simplified routes of human-aided dispersal of Polynesian rats, Rattus exulans.

Figure 1

Populations on the Sunda Shelf Islands were isolated since the Last Glacial Maximum when sea level rises disconnected these areas from each other and the mainland. Populations in the Philippines and Wallacea were introduced about 4,000–3,500 BP. Subsequently, more remote areas were reached starting about 3,400–3,200 BP (Micronesia, Melanesia). The remotest areas of Polynesia (New Zealand, Hawaii and Easter Island), finally, were settled about 820–720 years ago (Roberts, 1991; Matisoo-Smith et al., 1998; Summerhayes et al., 2010; Wilmshurst et al., 2011; West et al., 2017). Orange: native and introduced range. White: areas without Polynesian rats. Image credit: George Lyras. Map credit: https://d-maps.com/carte.php?num_car=3258&lang=en.