婚配形式可以依據每個個體配偶的數量與配對的時間可分類為一夫一妻，一夫多妻，一妻多夫及亂交制。過去的研究大多依賴雙親照顧的程度、獨佔配偶的能力、雌雄個體間生殖成功率差異，這些來自於實驗室中實驗的資料，和活動範圍、散佈這些來自於田野實驗的資料來識別婚配形式。因為觀察上的限制，許多研究的結果頗受爭議，而後又有分子技術的證據加以否定。像指紋法或微隨體基因這些分子工具可以提供個體間的辨識資料，來建立自然族群間個體的辨識和親族關係，如此一來可以明確展現特定物種的婚配形式。不同性別偏向的擴散行為往往取決於婚配製度。過去研究不同性別擴散的模式，通常需要密集的、大尺度和長時間的族群結構調查。而微隨體基因的資料配合空間自相關分析，可瞭解族群內精細尺度的遺傳結構，藉此來檢視個體擴散行為和其族群社會結構。過去對於台灣高山田鼠的生態學研究資料很有限，而且台灣高山田鼠的婚配形式僅以雙親照顧的程度、配對偏愛和活動範圍資料來推定為一夫一妻制。故本研究主要目的為利用微隨體基因的分子證據: 1)直接求證台灣高山田鼠的婚配製度是否在社會行為及遺傳上皆為一夫一妻制; 2)配合空間自相關分析來檢視台灣高山田鼠是否有性別偏向擴散模式; 3)瞭解台灣高山田鼠是否有親族群集的現象。 Mating system can be classified as monogamy, polygyny, polyandry and promiscuity based on the number of copulatory partners per individual and the nature of pair bond. Previous studies on identifying mating system of mammals largely rely on the data of degree of parental care, ability to monopolize mates and variance in male and female reproductive success from lab experiment and the data of home-range size and dispersal from field study. Because of limited observation, the results from many studies are controversial and later are proved wrong by molecular technique. Molecular tools such as DNA fingerprinting or microsatellite can provide individual-specific data to establish identity and relatedness among individuals within natural population and thus reveal the mating system of the focal species in unequivocal. The identity of the dispersing sex is dependent on mating systems. Unfortunately, dispersal is difficult to study and often requires intensive, large-scale, and long-term demographic studies. Based on microsatellite DNA data and spatial autocorrelation analysis, we can understand the microgeographic genetic spatial structure within a population and examine the dispersal behavior of individuals and social structure of population. The ecological knowledge on Microtus kikuchii from previous studies is limited. And the mating system of M. kikuchii was identified as monogamous based on the data of partner preference, parental care and home-range size. The purposes of this study are as followed: 1) confirm monogamy of M. kikuchii with microsatellite DNA; 2) identify dispersal patterns of M. kikuchii with microsatellite DNA and spatial autocorrelation; 3) identify kin-cluster of M. kikuchii.
