Oh, I love that chart. I was a post-doc at Jax when that was underway and was totally fascinated. But also--there is an online book that they have on the Origins of Inbred mice: http://www.informatics.jax.org/morsebook/ Might have some interesting additional historical framework.
After some googling around, I've not been able to find a good reference for the phylogenetic history of the different mouse model strains. So, I've been told that BL6 and A/J both come from a cross between Mus musculus musculus and Mus musculus domesticus and they were independently derived after that common cross.
Does anybody know where I could find out more about the origin of these and other mouse strains?
2 answers
I'd start from the Strains, SNPs & Polymorphisms page at the Mouse Genome Informatics website. Their resources include: lists of strain names with further links, a chart of inbred strains and a link to the Nature Genetics paper, Genealogies of mouse inbred strains.
I've been told I should read this recent Nature Genetics paper:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ng.847

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