Earliest evidence of mus musculus ssp. In western europe during the late neolithic (Tosina, Mantova, Northern Italy): New insights on the house mice migratory waves

New evidence arising from the study of the microtheriological materials from the Late Neolithic site of Tosina of Monzambano (Province of Mantova, northern Italy) shows that Mus musculus ssp. was present in Western Europe in the Late Neolithic — at least 1500 years earlier than previously clearly demonstrated. This discovery provides evidence for a first migratory wave, following human populations moving from east to west, of this highly synanthropic animal species. The data are consistent with the evidence of Mus musculus musculus — hypothesised to belong to a second wave of house mice reaching Europe — from the Romanian Copper Age site of Bucşani La Pod tell.