Montane Habitats Research Articles

Small, odd and old: The mysterious Tarsius pumilus is the most basal Sulawesi tarsier.

In this study, we present the first genetic evidence of the phylogenetic position of Tarsius pumilus, the mountain tarsier of Sulawesi, Indonesia. This mysterious primate is the only Eastern tarsier species that occurs exclusively in cloud forests above 1800 m.a.s.l. It exhibits striking morphological peculiarities—most prominently its extremely reduced body size, which led to the common name of ‘pygmy tarsier’. However, our results indicate that T. pumilus is not an aberrant form of a lowland tarsier, but in fact, the most basal of all Sulawesi tarsiers. Applying a Bayesian multi-locus coalescent approach, we dated the divergence between the T. pumilus lineage and the ancestor of all other extant Sulawesi tarsiers to 9.88 Mya. This is as deep as the split between the two other tarsier genera Carlito (Philippine tarsiers) and Cephalopachus (Western tarsiers), and predates further tarsier diversification on Sulawesi by around 7 Myr. The date coincides with the deepening of the marine environment between eastern and western Sulawesi, which likely led to allopatric speciation between T. pumilus or its predecessor in the west and the ancestor of all other Sulawesi tarsiers in the east. As the split preceded the emergence of permanent mountains in western Sulawesi, it is unlikely that the shift to montane habitat has driven the formation of the T. pumilus lineage.

Biogeographical Importance of the Livingstone Mountains in Southern Tanzania: Comparative Genetic Structure of Small Non-volant Mammals

The Livingstone Mountains (LM; also known as the Kipengere Range) found in south-western Tanzania at the northern end of Lake Nyasa are an important region for understanding the biogeography of Eastern Africa. The two branches of the East African Rift Valley meet here and the mountains might represent stepping stones for colonization and migration between different parts of the Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot (especially the link between the Eastern Arc Mountains, EAM, and the Southern Rift Mountains, SRM), as well as an efficient barrier to gene flow for taxa living in drier savannahs in lower elevations. Here we combine new mitochondrial sequence data from 610 recently sampled rodents and shrews with available georeferenced genetic data (3538 specimens) from southern Tanzania, northern Malawi/Zambia and northern Mozambique and compare the spatial genetic structure among different taxa. There is no universal phylogeographic pattern in taxa preferring humid montane habitats. For some of them, the Makambako Gap acts as a barrier between the SRM and the EAM, but other taxa can bridge this gap. Barriers within the EAM (frequently) and within the SRM (sometimes) appear more important. The Rukwa rift between the SRM and the ARM is an important barrier that perhaps can only be crossed by taxa that are not that strictly tied to humid montane environments. For mammals living in lower-elevation savannah-like habitats, the LM can act as a strict barrier to gene flow, and together with the Ufipa Plateau, Lake Nyasa and the EAM create a very similar phylogeographic pattern with three recognizable genetic groups in most savannah-dwellers. The Livingstone Mountains thus appear to be one of the most important biogeographic crossroads in Eastern Africa.

Новые виды цианопрокариот во флоре Полярного Урала

The present study provides new results of an inventory of cyanobacterial species from the North part of the Polar Urals Mountains. This territory is characterized as a unique geographical position in the transition between sub-Arctic and Low-Arctic zone and heterogeneous natural conditions. In 2019 expedition in a total of 52 localities were studied, 232 samples collected. The species identification was based on morphological features only. As a result, twenty-three species are reported for the Polar Urals flora for the first time. Feasibly, unexplored biodiversity of the terrestrial cyanobacteria of this territory is very high. This is due to both the presence of a large number of montane habitat types and the geological diversity of rock.

The Endangered giant nuthatch Sitta magna: population size, habitat availability and the implications for its conservation in Thailand

AbstractAvailable habitat and hence the global population of the Endangered giant nuthatch Sitta magna, restricted to lower montane habitats of south-western China, eastern Myanmar and northern Thailand, remains poorly quantified. Thailand is the only portion of the species’ range for which there is a population estimate. To obtain a more precise estimate of the Thai population and clarify the extent and characteristics of suitable habitat remaining, we conducted 335 point-count surveys at 67 points across eight localities during November 2019–February 2020. We estimated abundance and identified preferred habitat characteristics using N-mixture models, and created suitable habitat maps based on data from surveys and remote sensing. Our estimate for Thailand was 578 (95% CI 391–854) individuals based on a density of 3.7 (95% CI 2.5–5.5) individuals/km2 in 156 km2 of suitable habitat. The giant nuthatch prefers dry forest with a large amount of mature native or planted pine Pinus kesiya and with a large tree basal area and an open canopy. Our estimate of suitable habitat remaining was less than previously reported and thus the population has probably decreased, although most of this habitat is within protected areas. Habitats for the species in Thailand have a stronger level of protection than in Myanmar and China, although habitat in China remains unquantified. We recommend further research in Myanmar and China, which may hold the majority of available habitat for the giant nuthatch. For long-term management, detailed study of the association of the giant nuthatch with pine plantations is required.

(2847) Proposal to conserve the name Anthurium microspadix against A. porrectum (Araceae)

(2847) Proposal to conserve the name <i>Anthurium microspadix</i> against <i>A. porrectum</i> (<i>Araceae</i>)

Plant phylogeny as a major predictor of flower visitation by nitidulid beetles, a lineage of ancestral angiosperm pollinators

Plant phylogeny sometimes predicts interspecific variation in pollinator composition better than floral features, and its predictive value seems to differ among major groups of insect pollinators. Earlier findings suggesting that pollination by Plant phylogeny sometimes predicts interspecific variation in pollinator composition better than gross floral features, and its predictive value seems to differ among major groups of insect pollinators. Pollination by beetles exhibits the strongest phylogenetic signal and the strongest phylogenetic conservatism, which is particularly intriguing given that beetles were probably the pollinators of early angiosperms. We examine in this paper the relationship between plant phylogeny and flower visitation by nitidulid beetles (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), an old monophyletic group of flower specialists and pollinators of gymnosperms and angiosperms. Using quantitative data on pollinator composition for 251 plant species (belonging to 167 genera in 46 families) from well-preserved Mediterranean montane habitats from southeastern Spain, the following questions were addressed: Is pollination by nitidulids correlated with plant phylogeny in the large species sample studied, and if it does, which are the relative importances of plant phylogeny, floral characteristics, and environmental features as predictors of nitidulid pollination in the plant assemblage studied ? Nitidulids were recorded in flowers of 25% of the plant species considered. Their distribution was significantly related to plant phylogeny, being clustered on certain lineages (Ranunculales, Malvales, Rosales, Asterales) and remarkably absent from others (e.g., Fabales, Lamiales). None of the environmental (habitat type, elevation) or macroscopic floral features considered (perianth type and color, flower mass) predicted nitidulid visitation after statistically accounting for the effect of plant phylogeny. We theorize that nitidulid beetles use characters of plants that track plant phylogeny at least as deep as the early radiation of the eudicots, imaginably characters such as the chemical signatures of pollen.

Revision of the montane New Guinean skink genus Lobulia (Squamata: Scincidae), with the description of four new genera and nine new species

Abstract The skink genus Lobulia is endemic to New Guinea, the largest and highest tropical island in the world. Lobulia and its related genera represent an important component of the montane herpetofauna of New Guinea, but it remains understudied and poorly known. We here provide the first, large-scale, systematic revision of Lobulia, using molecular phylogenetic and morphological comparisons to assess the monophyly of the genus and the diversity of species within it. We find that Lobulia, as currently defined, is polyphyletic. The eight species currently assigned to it form three clades. Furthermore, many specimens from New Guinea of unknown specific affinity are genetically and morphologically distinct from each other. Based on these data, we re-diagnose Lobulia and two of its closely related genera, Prasinohaema and Papuascincus. We erect four new genera (Alpinoscincus gen. nov., Nubeoscincus gen. nov., Ornithuroscincus gen. nov. and Palaia gen. nov.) to address the problem of polyphyly and describe nine new species Lobulia fortis sp. nov., Lobulia huonensis sp. nov., Loublia marmorata sp. nov., Lobulia vogelkopensis sp. nov., Ornithuroscincus bengaun sp. nov., Ornithuroscincus inornatus sp. nov., Ornithuroscincus pterophilus sp. nov., Ornithuroscincus shearmani sp. nov. and Ornithuroscincus viridis sp. nov. We supplement this taxonomic revision by investigating the biogeographic history of Lobulia s.l. and find evidence for a large radiation in the accreted terranes of New Guinea, with multiple independent colonizations of montane habitats and subsequent recolonization of lowland habitats. Our study reinforces the uniqueness and richness of the montane herpetofauna of New Guinea and the importance of mountains to biodiversity in the Tropics.

Elevational plumage divergence in the Rufous‐capped Babbler (Cyanoderma ruficeps) on a mountainous island

Environment plays an important role in the evolution of plumage coloration in birds and may also lead to sexual dichromatism if males and females face different selection pressures. Mountains exhibit varying ecological conditions along their elevation gradient that may impose divergent selection on elevationally widespread species, causing intraspecific plumage divergence. For example, UV light environments often vary between montane and lowland habitats, which could potentially cause differences in plumage UV reflection between birds occurring in the two types of habitats. However, few studies have examined the effects of elevation on plumage evolution. In this study, we quantified the plumage coloration of the Rufous‐capped Babbler Cyanoderma ruficeps from montane and lowland habitats on a mountainous island, Taiwan. We aimed to examine whether their plumage showed differences associated with changing ecological environments across the elevational gradient. The results supported that the plumage of babblers occupying montane habitats had higher UV‐reflectance and brightness than that of lowland birds, corresponding to the higher UV intensity in montane than lowland background light environments. The elevational differences were mainly found across the ventral parts of babblers that had relatively higher levels of UV reflectance compared with their dorsal parts. Alternatively, the brighter plumage, with higher UV‐reflectance in montane than lowland birds, might be mediated by physiological adaptation to other ecological factors, such as parasite pressures. The elevational differences in plumage UV‐reflectance and brightness were more dramatic in males than in females. However, we found significant sexual dichromatism in different body parts between montane and lowland babblers in which females had brighter or stronger UV‐associated coloration than males, suggesting that sexual selection has little impact on babbler plumage. Our study suggests the importance of elevational divergent selection associated with UV light or other ecological environments on avian plumage evolution.

Comparison of the distribution and phenology of Arctic Mountain plants between the early 20th and 21st centuries.

Arctic plants are adapted to climatic variability, but their long-term responses to warming remain unclear. Responses may occur by range shifts, phenological adjustments in growth and reproduction, or both. Here, we compare distribution and phenology of 83 arctic and boreal mountain species, sampled identically in the early 20th (1917-1919) and 21st centuries (2017-2018) from a region of northern Sweden that has warmed significantly. We test two compensatory hypotheses to high-latitude warming-upward shifts in distribution, and earlier or extended growth and reproduction. For distribution, we show dramatic upward migration by 69% of species, averaging 6.1m per decade, especially boreal woodland taxa whose upward expansion has reduced arctic montane habitat by 30%. Twenty percent of summit species showed distributional shifts but downward, especially moisture-associated snowbed flora. For phenology, we detected wide inter-annual variability in the onset of leafing and flowering in both eras. However, there was no detectable change in growing-season length, relating to two mechanisms. First, plot-level snow melt data starting in 1917 demonstrated that melt date, rather than vernal temperatures, better predicts plant emergence, with snow melt influenced by warmer years having greater snowfall-warmer springs did not always result in earlier emergence because snowbeds can persist longer. Second, the onset of reproductive senescence between eras was similar, even when plant emergence was earlier by a month, possibly due to intensified summer heat stress or hard-wired 'canalization' where senescence occurs regardless of summer temperature. Migrations in this system have possibly buffered arctic species against displacement by boreal expansion and warming, but ongoing temperature increases, woody plant invasion, and a potential lack of flexibility in timing of senescence may foreshadow challenges.

Phylogenomics of African radiation of Praomyini (Muridae: Murinae) rodents: First fully resolved phylogeny, evolutionary history and delimitation of extant genera

The tribe Praomyini is a diversified group including 64 species and eight extant rodent genera. They live in a broad spectrum of habitats across whole sub-Saharan Africa. Members of this tribe are often very abundant, they have a key ecological role in ecosystems, they are hosts of many potentially pathogenic microorganisms and comprise numerous agricultural pests. Although this tribe is well supported by both molecular and morphological data, its intergeneric relationships and the species contents of several genera are not yet fully resolved. Recent molecular data suggest that at least three genera in current sense are paraphyletic. However, in these studies the species sampling was sparse and the resolution of relationships among genera was poor, probably due to a fast radiation of the tribe dated to the Miocene and insufficient amount of genetic data. Here we used genomic scale data (395 nuclear loci = 610,965 bp long alignment and mitogenomes = 14,745 bp) and produced the first fully resolved species tree containing most major lineages of the Praomyini tribe (i.e. all but one currently delimited genera and major intrageneric clades). Results of a fossil-based divergence dating analysis suggest that the radiation started during the Messinian stage (ca. 7 Ma) and was likely linked to a fragmentation of the pan-African Miocene forest. Some lineages remained in the rain forests, while many others adapted to a broad spectrum of new open lowland and montane habitats that appeared at the beginning of Pliocene. Our analyses clearly confirmed the presence of three polyphyletic genera (Praomys, Myomyscus and Mastomys). We review current knowledge of these three genera and suggest corresponding taxonomic changes. To keep genera monophyletic, we propose taxonomic re-arrangements and delimit four new genera. Furthermore, we discovered a new highly divergent genetic lineage of Praomyini in southwestern Ethiopia, which is described as a new species and genus.

Striking between-population floral divergences in a habitat specialized plant.

When the habitat occupied by a specialist species is patchily distributed, limited gene flow between the fragmented populations may allow population differentiation and eventual speciation. 'Sky islands'-montane habitats that form terrestrial islands-have been shown to promote diversification in many taxa through this mechanism. We investigate floral variation in Impatiens lawii, a plant specialized on laterite rich rocky plateaus that form sky islands in the northern Western Ghats mountains of India. We focus on three plateaus separated from each other by ca. 7 to 17 km, and show that floral traits have diverged strongly between these populations. In contrast, floral traits have not diverged in the congeneric I. oppositifolia, which co-occurs with I. lawii in the plateaus, but is a habitat generalist that is also found in the intervening valleys. We conducted common garden experiments to test whether the differences in I. lawii are due to genetic differentiation or phenotypic plasticity. There were strong differences in floral morphology between experimental plants sourced from the three populations, and the relative divergences between population pairs mirrored that seen in the wild, indicating that the populations are genetically differentiated. Common garden experiments confirmed that there was no differentiation in I. oppositifolia. Field floral visitation surveys indicated that the observed differences in floral traits have consequences for I. lawii populations, by reducing the number of visitors and changing the relative abundance of different floral visitor groups. Our results highlight the role of habitat specialization in diversification, and corroborates the importance of sky islands as centres of diversification.

Hydroclimate changes in eastern Africa over the past 200,000 years may have influenced early human dispersal

Reconstructions of climatic and environmental conditions can contribute to current debates about the factors that influenced early human dispersal within and beyond Africa. Here we analyse a 200,000-year multi-proxy paleoclimate record from Chew Bahir, a tectonic lake basin in the southern Ethiopian rift. Our record reveals two modes of climate change, both associated temporally and regionally with a specific type of human behavior. The first is a long-term trend towards greater aridity between 200,000 and 60,000 years ago, modulated by precession-driven wet-dry cycles. Here, more favorable wetter environmental conditions may have facilitated long-range human expansion into new territory, while less favorable dry periods may have led to spatial constriction and isolation of local human populations. The second mode of climate change observed since 60,000 years ago mimics millennial to centennial-scale Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles and Heinrich events. We hypothesize that human populations may have responded to these shorter climate fluctuations with local dispersal between montane and lowland habitats.

The bees of Lebanon (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila).

The study of wild bees has markedly increased in recent years due to their importance as pollinators of crops and wild plants, and this interest has been accentuated by increasing evidence of global declines in their abundance and species richness. Though best studied in Europe and North America, knowledge on the current state of wild bees is scarce in regions where they are particularly diversified, such as the Mediterranean basin. The eastern Mediterranean country of Lebanon, located at the heart of the Levant in a biodiversity hotspot, is particularly poorly studied. The aim of this paper is to produce a first annotated checklist of the wild bees of Lebanon from new and museum collections, literature records, and verified occurrences from online databases. The present list totals 573 species for Lebanon of which 289 are reported for the first time, but the estimated diversity is likely to be closer to 700. Preliminary information on local distributions and flower records are also presented. The local species assemblages indicate affinities with montane habitats of the Mediterranean and Anatolia and the semi-arid habitats of the Levant and north Africa. This study also encourages further research on local wild bee faunas and the use of this knowledge for conservation purposes.

Unclusterable, underdispersed arrangement of insect-pollinated plants in pollinator niche space.

Pollinators can mediate facilitative or competitive relationships between plant species, but the relative importance of these two conflicting phenomena in shaping community-wide pollinator resource use remains unexplored. This article examines the idea that the arrangement of large samples of plant species in Hutchinsonian pollinator niche space (n-dimensional hypervolume whose axes represent pollinator types) can help to evaluate the comparative importance of facilitation and competition as drivers of pollinator resource use at the community level. Pollinator composition data were gathered for insect-pollinated plants from the Sierra de Cazorla mountains (southeastern Spain), comprising ~95% of widely distributed insect-pollinated species. The following questions were addressed at regional (45 sites, 221 plant species) and local (1 site, 73 plant species) spatial scales: (1) Do plant species clusters occur in pollinator niche space? Four pollinator niche spaces differing in dimensionality were considered, the axes of which were defined by insect orders, families, genera, and species. (2) If all plant species form a single, indivisible cluster, are they overdispersed or underdispersed within the cluster relative to a random arrangement? "Clusterability" tests failed to reject the null hypothesis that there was only one pollinator-defined plant species cluster in pollinator niche space, irrespective of spatial scale, pollinator niche space, or pollinator importance measurement (proportions of pollinator individuals or flowers visited by each pollinator type). Observed means of interspecific dissimilarity in pollinator composition were smaller than randomly simulated values in the order-, family-, and genus-defined pollinator niche spaces. This finding revealed an underdispersed arrangement of plant species in each of these pollinator niche spaces. In the undisturbed montane habitats studied, arrangement of insect-pollinated plant species in the various niche spaces defined by pollinator composition did not support a major role for interspecific competition as a force shaping community-wide pollinator resource use by plants, but rather suggested a situation closer to the facilitation-dominated extreme in a hypothetical competition-facilitation gradient. Results also highlight the importance of investigations on complete or nearly complete insect-pollinated plant communities for suggesting and testing novel hypotheses on the ecology and evolution of plant-pollinator systems.

Afrotropical montane birds experience upslope shifts and range contractions along a fragmented elevational gradient in response to global warming.

Global warming is predicted to result in upslope shifts in the elevational ranges of bird species in montane habitats. Yet few studies have examined changes over time in the elevational distribution of species along fragmented gradients in response to global warming. Here, we report on a resurvey of an understory bird community in the Usambara Mountains in Tanzania, along a forested elevational gradient that has been fragmented over the last 200 years. In 2019, we resurveyed seven sites, ranging in elevation from 360 m to 2110 m, that were originally surveyed between 1979 and 1981. We calculated differences in mean elevation and lower and upper range limits for 29 species between the two time periods and corrected for possible differences in elevation due to chance. Over four decades, we documented a significant mean upslope shift across species of 93 m. This shift was smaller than the 125 m expected shift due to local climate warming. Of the 29 focal species, 19 shifted upslope, eight downslope, and two remained unchanged. Mean upslope shifts in species were driven largely by contracting lower range limits which moved significantly upslope on average across species by 183 m, while upper range limits shifted non-significantly upslope by 72 m, leading to a mean range contraction of 114 m across species. Community composition of understory bird species also shifted over time, with current communities resembling communities found historically at lower elevations. Past forest fragmentation in combination with the limited gap-crossing ability of many tropical understory bird species are very likely important contributory factors to the observed asymmetrical shifts in lower and upper elevational range limits. Re-establishing forested linkages among the largest and closest forest fragments in the Eastern Arc Mountains are critical to permitting species to shift upslope and to reduce further elevational range contractions over time.

A new species ofAkodonMeyen, 1833 (Rodentia: Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae) endemic from the Brazilian Cerrado

AbstractAkodon is the second most diverse genus of sigmodontine rodents, comprising 40 extant species. Widely distributed through different environments of South America, the genus ranges from forested to open-vegetation areas, from semiarid to mesic regions, and from Andean altitudes to the lowlands of eastern Brazil. In Brazil, most species are from the Atlantic Forest, inhabiting lowland and montane habitats, with a few taxa also present in areas transitional with the Cerrado and Pantanal. Based on an integrative approach of genetics (cytogenetic and molecular data) and morphology (qualitative and quantitative external and craniodental data), we present in this contribution the hypothesis of a new species of Akodon based on specimens collected in the southwestern limit of the Cerrado domain, in the seasonally dry forests of the Serra da Bodoquena, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. The new species was recovered as a distinct lineage sister to Akodon philipmyersi, a poorly known species from the Northern Campos grasslands of Misiones Province, Argentina, and can be distinguished from its congeners by its karyotype (2n = 40, FN = 40), morphology (morphometric, pelage, and skull characters), as well as by its degree of genetic divergence (above 7.5% in Cytb sequences). This new species is endemic to the Cerrado, one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, and to Serra da Bodoquena, one of the top priority areas for conservation in Brazil. Moreover, the new species increases the number of lineages of Akodon in Brazil, emphasizing the richness and endemism currently found in the Cerrado domain, and the importance of the open formations to the diversification of Neotropical taxa.

Medium and large-sized mammals in montane habitats of Oaxaca, México

Los inventarios locales constituyen la base para entender la distribución de las especies y los procesos ecológicos e históricos subyacentes. Esta información, en asociación con la documentación de los motivos de caza de las especies, es necesaria para el diseño de estrategias de conservación. Este estudio provee datos nuevos de las especies de mamíferos medianos y grandes del Cerro Piedra Larga (CPL), un macizo montañoso interior en Oaxaca, México. Obtuvimos datos de observaciones directas en transectos, búsqueda de rastros y fototrampeo en bosque tropical caducifolio, bosque seco de pino-encino y en bosque de pino-encino. Registramos los motivos de caza de los mamíferos por la gente local a través de entrevistas informales. Cuantificamos el número de especies e identificamos aquellas que están en alguna categoría de riesgo para su conservación. Reportamos la presencia de 26 especies de mamíferos medianos y grandes en el CPL. Siete especies están en alguna categoría de riesgo. Los habitantes reconocieron la presencia de 23 especies, de las cuales 14 son cazadas para prevenir daños sobre animales domésticos y cultivos. Cinco especies son cazadas por su carne. Las observaciones directas, el fototrampeo y las entrevistas fueron métodos complementarios que ayudaron a tener una mejor lista de las especies. Siete especies constituyen los primeros registros para toda la subprovincia. El registro de Cuniculus paca representa una extensión de su distribución hacia el centro-sur de Oaxaca. Considerando a los mamíferos pequeños, los voladores y los medianos y grandes, el CPL tiene el 24.9 % del total de mamíferos terrestres registrados en Oaxaca. Este estudio destaca la importancia de este macizo montañoso por su diversidad de mamíferos, la cual es amenazada por agricultura de roza-tumba y quema, y actividades de desarrollo carretero.

Genetic data support local persistence in multiple glacial refugia in the montane net‐winged midge Liponeura cinerascens cinerascens (diptera, blephariceridae)

Abstract The Pleistocene glaciations shaped the distribution and population structure of most European species. Some species survived the glacial cycles by shifting their range to Mediterranean refuges, while others endured in central European habitats. It has been argued that certain cold‐tolerant aquatic insect populations were able to persist in non‐freezing rivers close to glaciers. We aimed to identify the Pleistocene biogeographic history of a net‐winged midge (Blephariceridae), a relatively unknown group of Dipteran montane habitat specialists, by inference from its current population genetic structure. We sampled five mountain ranges covering the extent of the species range. We genotyped a novel set of 11 microsatellites and sequenced the mitochondrial cytochrome‐c‐oxidase subunit I region to detect genetic structure within and among five European mountain ranges in the net‐winged midge Liponeura cinerascens cinerascens. Liponeura cinerascens cinerascens shows distinct genetic differentiation between different mountain ranges, coupled, however, with near panmictic gene flow across distances exceeding 100 km within each studied mountain range. Distinct mitochondrial cytochrome‐c‐oxidase subunit I lineages with endemic haplotypes, microsatellite population genetic structure and high levels of regionally private alleles provide evidence that mountain range populations have been evolving independently from each other for a significant number of generations. Liponeura cinerascens cinerascens is able to maintain gene flow between watercourses in highly structured mountain ranges. Lowland regions, however, pose significant dispersal barriers, possibly because high‐gradient stretches with boulders are rare in such landscapes. We posit that each of the studied mountain regions represents an independent Pleistocene glacial refuge, and that L. c. cinerascens was able to persist glacial cycles in extra‐Mediterranean periglacial refugia in the Jura Mountains, Bavarian Forest, and Carpathians.

Ecological and reproductive drivers of fission-fusion dynamics in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) inhabiting a montane forest

In species with flexible grouping dynamics (i.e., fission-fusion), party (or subgroup) size is often shaped by available resources. Food resources are thought to limit party size in a range of mammalian species, reflecting a strategy of reducing feeding competition. In montane habitats, where food is highly seasonal, we may expect to see strong effects of ecological constraints on party size. In the montane forest of Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda, we quantified changes in chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) party size. We used path analysis to analyze the direct and indirect effects of (i) ecological variables and (ii) a reproductive variable (estrous females) on party size. Our path analysis adds precision and directionality to the hypothesis that food availability and estrous females influence party size. We found that the presence of estrous females had the strongest effect on party size. Interestingly, the availability and distribution of important and preferred fruits did not directly influence party size but did influence the presence of estrous females. These findings indicate that fruit distribution may be the ecological precondition that attracts estrous females, which is the main driver of larger parties. Party size was, however, positively correlated with patch size, indicating that specific fruit species may be of particular importance to the ecology of these chimpanzees. In montane habitats with lower fruit tree density and diversity than lowland sites, it may be expected that ecological factors play a more important role in fission-fusion grouping patterns than reproductive factors. This is because the cost of competition for food among group members may be higher in a more resource-limited (montane) environment. We investigated the ecological and reproductive factors that influence grouping patterns of chimpanzees in a montane forest that encompasses the upper limit of this species’ altitudinal range. Our results showed that the presence of estrous females had the strongest influence on party size. These results have implications for evaluating ecological and reproductive drivers of chimpanzee party size across differing habitats.

Mitogenome and phylogenetic analyses support rapid diversification among species groups of small-eared shrews genus Cryptotis (Mammalia: Eulipotyphla: Soricidae).

The small-eared shrew genus Cryptotis is the third largest in the family Soricidae and occurs in North, Central, and northern South America. In Mexico and Central and South America, most species inhabit geographically isolated moist, montane habitats at middle and high elevations in a typical sky-island pattern. The 49 recognized species have been partitioned into as many as six species groups based on morphological and molecular phylogenetic studies. The relationships among these species groups are poorly resolved, and their evolutionary histories, including migration patterns and locomotor adaptations, remain unclear. Herein, we provide a new phylogeny incorporating complete mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) and supermatrix approach. We compared different evolutionary scenarios using approximately unbiased (AU), Kishino-Hasegawa (KH), and Shimodaira-Hasegawa (SH) statistical tests. The phylogenetic hypothesis based on mitogenomes revealed novel relationships supporting a basal position for the Cryptotis parvus-group in the genus, and a close relationship between C. gracilis and one clade of the C. thomasi-group. The former relationship is consistent with the least derived humerus morphology and northern distribution of the species. The latter relationship implies multiple migrations between Central and South America. The lack of fine resolution for the species group relationships may be due partly to the lack of taxon sampling. In contrast, multi-approach analyses suggest that the unresolved relationships may be a result of rapid diversification during the early stages of Cryptotis evolution.