Small Mammal Assemblages Research Articles

Agri-driven habitat modification and small mammal species assemblage nexus in the Atewa Range and Bimpong Forest Reserves, Ghana

This study provides first-hand information on how the changing microhabitat in evergreen forests influences the assemblage of small terrestrial mammals. 30 plots of 100 × 50 metres were randomly sampled in the closed forest, open forest and farmlands habitats. Four transects, 100 m in length, spaced at 10 m, were established in each plot. Ten traps spaced at 10 m from each other were placed on each transect. In the dry and wet seasons, small mammals were captured for three consecutive nights twice a year using Sherman collapsible traps baited with oatmeal and groundnut paste. Small mammals were photographed and identified to species level in situ. The multidimensional scaling method was used to identify clusters of sites based on the composition of their communities. Differences in species composition among habitat types were tested using Permutational Multivariate Analysis of Variance. To identify the species contributions to the major differences between habitat types, a SIMPER analysis was performed. Species richness was compared by subjecting the relative abundance data to an individual-based rarefaction technique. Species diversity of the habitat types in the study areas was compared using the Renyi diversity ordering approach. A total of 507 individual small mammals of 22 species were sampled from both study sites. Our analysis revealed that the composition of small mammal species differed significantly between habitat types in the two study areas. Praomys tullbergi, Mastomys natalensis and Mus minutoides contributed 27.5%, 16.8% and 14.4%, respectively to overall community dissimilarity between the habitat types. Together these three species contributed to 54.8% and 62.8% of observed dissimilarities in Atewa and Bimpong study areas respectively. Overall observed species richness in Atewa (16 species) was higher than Bimpong (14 species). Generally, farmlands and open forests were more abundant, species-rich and diverse than the closed forest habitats in both study areas. Our results supported the hypothesis that different habitat types (farmlands, open forest, and closed forest) in the study areas will differ in small mammal assemblage due to different levels of disturbances.

Late Quaternary (MIS 5a-5b) climate and environments of western Iberia inferred from the small-mammal assemblage of Gruta da Oliveira, Torres Novas, Portugal

Marine Isotope Stage 5 (MIS 5) is well represented in palynological studies of North Atlantic marine cores but in only a handful of archeological sequences from the adjacent Iberian landmass. In this paper, we undertake a multi-proxy analysis of small mammal assemblages (insectivores, bats, and rodents) from a 6 m-thick succession, dated to MIS 5a-5b (Layers 7–22), situated in the southeastern edge of the Central Limestone massif of Estremadura at Gruta da Oliveira, near Torres Novas, Portugal. Application of quantitative (Habitat Weighting, Simpson's Diversity Index) and qualitative (Mutual Ecogeographic Range, Bioclimatic Model, Quantified Ecology) methods suggest that open woodland habitats were dominant through the time of accumulation with reconstructed mean annual temperatures (MAT) tracking the 18O curve from the NorthGRIP ice core, from the end of MIS 5c to the beginning of MIS 4. Our findings are consistent with the general trends derived from other Gruta da Oliveira proxies (wood charcoal, coprolite pollen, large mammal associations), limited evidence from other MIS 5 terrestrial sites in Iberia, and offshore marine palynological records.

Relative efficiency of two models of snap traps for sampling boreal small mammals

AbstractSnap traps have long been a cost‐effective means of monitoring small mammal (<60 g) diversity and abundance, particularly at larger spatial or temporal scales. Yet, studies on the relative efficiency of snap trap models are surprisingly rare in the literature. We assessed the relative efficacy of Victor Mouse and Woodstream Museum Special snap traps for sampling boreal small mammals. Paired traps were set for 2–3 nights at 40–50 trapping stations at each of 110 sites, for a total sampling effort of 28,910 trap nights. We captured 1,013 small mammals representing 13 species. Overall, Museum Special traps caught almost twice as many small mammals as Victor traps. There was no difference in the sex or age‐class of the overall capture in the 2 trap models. However, Museum Special traps were triggered without capturing a small mammal 31% more often than Victor traps. Results for the six most frequently captured species (Myodes rutilus, Microtus pennsylvanicus, Microtus oeconomus, Microtus xanthognathus, Peromyscus maniculatus, and Sorex cinereus) mirrored those for overall captures. Moreover, the percent of the total capture in Museum Special traps ranged between 57–80% for each of the above species, indicating species‐specific responses to trap type. Our data further demonstrate the superior ability of Museum Special traps to capture boreal small mammals compared to Victor traps, which is likely attributed to a more sensitive trigging mechanism. Implications of our results suggest caution when mixing trap models in monitoring programs, or when interpreting results obtained with different trap models. We encourage similar comparisons in different biomes with different small mammal assemblages as trap performance is likely species specific.

Andean non-volant small mammals: A dataset of community assemblages of non-volant small mammals from the high Andes.

Information from diversity inventories was used to study patterns of biodiversity and species distribution, to identify potential priority areas for conservation, and to guide future sampling efforts. In this context, we compiled information on non-volant small mammal communities from the high Andes (>2000 m). Here, we present an open source dataset containing information on diversity (species composition, number of individuals captured), inventory design (type of traps, sampling efforts), and environment (habitat) for both unpublished and published information. This study covers 630 mammalian communities, geographically distributed throughout the Andes in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile. We compiled a total of 26,412 individual records belonging to 240 species; the order with greatest number of records was Rodentia (n=25,319, 96.06%), followed by Didelphimorphia (n=373, 1.42%), Eulipotyphla (n=358, 1.36%) and Paucituberculata, (n=307, 1.16%). Andean non-volant small mammal communities harbor a range from 1 to 17 species, with 93.06% of sites being composed of one to five species, 27.78% of sites with species richness varying from 6 to 10 species, and 4.17% sites composed of more than 10 species. Multiple sampling methods were used to survey non-volant small mammals; the most representative methods were snap-traps and Sherman traps, or a combination of both, in more than 81% of the studies. This data paper represents the first large dataset of faunal species inventories for the Andes. There are no copyright restrictions associated with the use of this dataset. Please cite this data paper when its data are used total or partially in research or teaching.

Altitudinal dispersal process drives community assembly of montane small mammals

Montane small mammals are subjected to strong forces of dispersal limitation and habitat filtering that mainly operate on their community structures along the altitudinal direction. However, so far little is known about the relative contributions of dispersal and niche processes to their community assembly. By applying the newly proposed PER‐SIMPER/DNCI (dispersal–niche continuum index) framework to small mammal occurrence data collected from 21 extensive altitudinal gradients, we quantitatively assessed the relative importance of dispersal and niche processes on mammalian community assembly in a large mountainous region of southwestern China. We compared the pairwise DNCI values among assemblages from low, middle and high altitudinal zones and overall DNCI values between glires and insectivores that differ in dispersal abilities to test three explicit (altitudinal connectivity, environmental difference and dispersal ability) hypotheses. The overall DNCI values for all small mammal species combined (−12.7 ± 0.4, 90 species), glires (−12.8 ± 0.5, 56 species) and insectivores (−13.5 ± 1.4, 34 species) values were all negative, while insectivores showed a lower value than glires. For both all species combined and glires, we found a lower pairwise DNCI value between the low and high altitudinal zones than that between the other two pairs of altitudinal zones. Our study indicated that an altitudinal dispersal process dominates the taxonomic composition of small mammal assemblages in this region. Importantly, the results reinforced the idea that community structures of less vagile taxa are more subject to dispersal limitation; and yet another idea that assemblages from further altitudinal areas are more differentiated by dispersal process was only supported in glires and all species combined. Community biologists should, therefore, pay attention to recent climate‐induced upward range shifts by montane species, which may dramatically alter their community structures in different altitudinal zones through dynamics of immigration and mountaintop extinction.

Small Animals, Big Impact? Early Farmers and Pre- and Post-Harvest Pests from the Middle Neolithic Site of Les Bagnoles in the South-East of France (L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Vaucluse, Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur).

Simple SummaryArchaeological excavations at Les Bagnoles (SE France) unearthed three Middle Neolithic water wells (4250–3700 cal B.C.) whose waterlogged conditions allowed the preservation of organic remains, notably a large number of rodent and beetle species. The evaluation of these results in the context of an open-air farming site raised the question of whether these species could have posed a threat to both the field plants and crops stored at the Middle Neolithic settlement. The findings of this study suggest that the native wood mouse was probably one of the first unwanted inhabitants of human settlements in Europe prior to the appearance of the invasive house mouse during the Bronze Age. The analysis also advances the argument that the storage pest grain weevil played a role in the clear shift in the crop spectrum from naked to glume wheat around 4000 B.C., as glume wheats are less vulnerable to its infestation. Moreover, the current study demonstrates that investigating insects and rodents from archaeological sites is key to grasping the challenges of the competitive relationship between Neolithic farming communities and pests.Pests appear to have accompanied humans and their crops since the beginning of farming. Nevertheless, their study is only rarely integrated into research on farming in prehistory. An assemblage of invertebrates and small mammals was recovered from the waterlogged layers of three wells at the Middle Neolithic site (4250–3700 cal B.C.) of Les Bagnoles (SE France). The microfaunal remains were retrieved from sediment samples by wet sieving (wash-over technique). The most common among the rodents is the wood mouse. The assemblage also consists of insect remains of grain weevil, seed beetle, and corn ground beetle. The different finds not only offer data on the role of insect and rodent pests in the Neolithic but on the possible strategies adopted by the early farming communities in the western Mediterranean in response to pest infestation. The findings appear to confirm the hypothesis that the wood mouse was a commensal and storage pest in settlements long before the arrival of the invasive house mouse during the Bronze Age. The presence of the main storage pest, the grain weevil, suggests a long-term grain storage issue at Les Bagnoles. The combination of the results of the site’s archaeobotanical findings with those of other sites in the western Mediterranean suggests that the shift from naked to glume wheat around 4000 B.C. may also stem from a reaction to the problem of grain weevil infestation.

Beydere 3: a new early Miocene small mammal assemblage from the western Anatolia, Turkey

ABSTRACT The new micromammal site of Beydere 3 represents a typical Anatolian MN3 fauna in the high diversification and abundance of Eumyarion. Notably, two Eumyarion species are new; combined, they make up almost half of the assemblage. While Eumyarion beyderensis sp. nov. shows simple morphology in upper molars, Eumyarion aegeaniensis sp. nov. shows a more complex lophs pattern. In addition, Beydere 3 yielded nine species of rodents and an ochotonid: the hamsters Cricetodon kasapligili, Mirrabella crenulata, Megacricetodon hellenicus, Democricetodon doukasi, Vallaris zappai and Eumyarion sp., the dormice Glirulus ekremi and Glis sp., the beaver Steneofiber eseri, the squirrel Palaeosciurus fissurae and Ochotonidae indet. The fauna is significant in that it represents the first common occurrence of Megacricetodon in Anatolia. Eumyarion and Megacricetodon are both dominant groups which may indicate a signal of environmental change, but still closer to wet conditions. This, in combination with the new species of Eumyarion, suggests that Beydere 3 represents a time slice which was previously not recorded in Anatolia. Radiometric dating of ashes overlying the section indicates that the age of the locality is older than 18.21 (± 0.19) Ma.

Microhabitat, altitude and seasonal influence on the abundance of non-volant small mammals in Mount Rungwe forest nature reserve

A study on microhabitat, altitudinal and seasonal influences on small mammal abundance in Mount Rungwe Nature Forest Reserve, Tanzania was carried out from March 2019 to February 2020 during the wet and dry seasons. Live traps were used in six grids and six transect lines for capturing small mammals at the low, mid, and high elevations (1700–2600 m.a.s.l.). Generalized linear models were used to examine the effects of microhabitat characteristics, altitude, and seasons on the relative abundance of small mammals. A total of 444 rodents and shrews were recorded on 4320 trap nights. Rodent species recorded included Beamys hindei, Cricetomys ansorgei, Dendromus insignis, Grammomys ibeanus, Graphiurus murinus, Lophuromys machangui, Praomys delectorum, and one shrew, Crocidura sp . Overall, P. delectorum was the most dominant species in all elevations, with 68.9% of all captures. Mid elevation had a higher abundance of small mammals (Estimate ± SE = 1.17 ± 0.49, Z = 2.37, p = 0.0176). Species abundance was influenced differently by elevation. While P. delectorum decreases with increasing elevation, L. machangui increases with an increase in elevation. Although overall small mammal abundance was not affected by microhabitat variables (Estimate ± SE = −0.08 ± 0.13, Z = −0.67, p = 0.5050), individual species ( P. delectorum and L. machangui ; Estimate ± SE = 0.13 ± 0.06, Z = 1.95, p = 0.05 and −0.31 ± 0.09, Z = 3.34, p = 0.0008 respectively) were affected differently. While P. delectorum abundance showed a positive correlation and increased with an increase in PCA1 in GLM, L. machangui had a negative trend that shows they were affected differently. Small mammal abundance, on the other hand, was affected by season and, in particular, rain, with low abundance during heavy rains and dry cold periods (Estimate ± SE = 0.51 ± 0.14, Z = 3.6, p = 0.0003 and 0.3 ± 0.15, Z = 2.08 p = 0.04 respectively). In general, the results show that microhabitat parameters, elevation, and season influenced small mammals’ abundance in MRFNR. This outcome indicates that altering the microhabitat could have an impact on the small mammal assemblage and particularly their abundance. Thus, microhabitat, elevation, and season influence small mammal abundance and can be used as a proxy for evaluating the biodiversity of montane tropical small mammal communities.

Difference in small mammal assemblages in the diet of the Common Barn-Owl Tyto alba between two landscapes

As an opportunistic predator, the Common Barn-owl (Tyto alba) proved to be an appropriate model organism to survey the composition of small mammal assemblages. This study analysed barn owls’ pellet samples from 14 localities containing 34 animal taxa and 4,088 prey items in two years (2015–2016). Two groups of samples (7–7 localities) were separated based on the dominance of semi-natural habitats and agricultural lands. Rarefaction analysis proved that the species richness and diversity of barn owls’ diet were significantly higher in semi-natural landscapes. The multiple regression analysis between PCA scores showed that in the agrarian landscape the abundance of generalist species was influenced by the proportion of forests, while the value of the trophic level index was determined by the size of arable fields. In the case of semi-natural landscapes, the abundance of the synantrop guild and generalist species, especially S. araneus and A. agrarius, was influenced by the proportion of urban areas, the number of habitats and the size of arable fields. The results of this study suggested that the small mammal consumption of the Common Barn-owl is significantly different in the two landscapes, which reflects the impact of habitat heterogeneity and agricultural activity on prey availability.

Paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental reconstructions based on the small vertebrates from the Middle Paleolithic of Hohle Fels Cave, SW Germany

In this paper, we analyse the fish and small mammal assemblages from the Middle Paleolithic horizons of Hohle Fels Cave to reconstruct the paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental conditions faced by the Neanderthal groups who occupied the site. The fish assemblage indicates that the freshwater ecosystem around this site was characterized by a pre-mountain river system with the presence of permanent, oxygen-rich, and cold running waters. The results of the Habitat Weighting Method and the Bioclimatic Model applied to the small mammal assemblage, coupled with the new dates obtained for the Archaeological Horizon (AH) IX, allow us to identify two different climatic phases. One phase (AH X-XII) is more temperate possibly corresponding to the end of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5; the other (AH VI-IX) is colder and more arid corresponding to the end of MIS 4 through the beginning of MIS 3. Open environments with a relatively stable forest component dominated the landscape during this part of the Middle Paleolithic. These two climatic phases appear to correspond to different levels of occupational intensity by Neanderthals, with higher occupational intensity during mild climatic periods and lower intensity during cold, arid periods. Our climatic reconstruction and recent absolute dating, together with the recovery of a complete leaf point near the top of AH X, have important implications for the cultural stratigraphy and cultural chronology of the region. Archaeologist have traditionally viewed leaf points as key artefacts of the Blattspitzengruppe, a cultural complex attributed to the end of Middle Paleolithic; however, this stratigraphic, climatic, and chronological context indicates the need to revise this interpretation.

Palaeoecological reconstructions of the Middle to Late Pleistocene occupations in the Southern Caucasus using rodent assemblages

Located at the crossroads between Africa, Europe and Asia, the Southern Caucasus is a prime location to study occupations by H. heidelbergensis, H. neanderthalensis and anatomically modern humans. Azokh Cave is an important site for the understanding of human evolution in its archaeological, palaeontological, environmental and ecological context. The main objective of this work is to use rodents to infer the climatic and environmental conditions that prevailed during the formation of the site. The small-mammal remains come from the archaeological excavation campaigns carried out in Azokh 1 in 2003, 2005, 2014, 2015 and 2018; they are from Unit V, Units III–IV and Unit II. The small-mammal assemblage is composed of at least 13 taxa: seven arvicoline, two cricetine, two gerbilline, one dipodid and one murine species. Units III–IV do not yield enough material to draw palaeoclimatic inferences. The palaeoclimatic conditions for Units V and II, ascertained by means of the bioclimatic model, suggest temperatures and precipitation similar to nowadays; the climate seems to be relatively warm-temperate in both units. The palaeoenvironmental reconstruction by means of habitat weighting points to an environment mainly composed of desert and steppe habitats, as well as portions of grassland and forest. This interpretation differs from that inferred from the large-mammal and archaeobotanical data, which indicate a woodland environment. These differences could be explained by the origin of the accumulation. There was no evidence of a major palaeoenvironmental or palaeoclimatic change between the Middle and Late Pleistocene layers, indicating favourable conditions throughout the study period.

New palaeontological evidence suggests an early Middle Pleistocene age for the lower levels of Sun Hole Cave, Cheddar, Somerset, UK

Sun Hole, a small fissure cave on the north side of Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, is best known as the site where late Upper Palaeolithic artefacts are associated with human and other mammal remains that immediately pre-date the Lateglacial interstadial. These remains from the upper levels (Unit I) overlie sediments (Unit II) that are thought to have accumulated during a full glacial period, below which are sediments (Unit III) attributed to an interglacial stage. The extinct land snail Retinella (Lyrodiscus) sp., which in Britain was only known from the Hoxnian Stage, had previously been recovered from Unit III. The interglacial at the base of the sequence was therefore assigned to the Hoxnian Stage (Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 11, 424–374 kyr). Here we provide additional analyses of samples from Unit III, which as well as containing further Retinella (Lyrodiscus), also yielded a specimen of Monachoides incarnatus, its first record from the British Pleistocene. An associated assemblage of small mammals included a few that are rare in the British Pleistocene, such as birch mouse (Sicista cf. betulina) and garden dormouse (Eliomys quercinus). The vole Lasiopodomys gregaloides and the shrew Sorex (Drepanosorex) savini do not occur as late as the Hoxnian and therefore suggest an older age in the early Middle Pleistocene. The record from Sun Hole therefore has parallels with the well-known sequence from the upper Calcareous Member in the nearby cavern system at Westbury-sub-Mendip.

The Palaeoenvironment Of the Central Russian Plain During the End Of the Valdai Glaciation Based on Small Mammal Data From the Late Palaeolithic Site Byki 7 (Seim R. Basin)

The analysis of the Late Pleistocene small mammals’ faunas from the three cultural layers of the Late Palaeolithic site Byki 7 (the Seim River basin) consist of a combination of steppe and tundra species. Steppe species definitely prevail and include Ochotona pusilla, Marmota bobac, Spermophilus sp., Spalax microphthalmus, Ellobius talpinus, Lagurus lagurus and Lasiopodomys (Stenocranius) gregalis. Tundra species (collared lemming and Siberian lemming) are only represented by a small amount of remains. The lack of forest dwellers in the Byki 7 small mammal assemblage indicates of the absence of a continuous forest zone on the Central Russian Plain during the end of the Valdai glaciation. The Eurasian geographical distribution of the Rodentia and Lagomorpha species represented in the Byki–7 assemblages, have been reconstructed for the period of deposition of the site. Radiocarbon dates indicate that the multilayer Late Palaeolithic Byki 7 site correlates with the second part of the Valdai Glaciation Maximum cooling (LGM) (22–17 ka BP). Based on the small mammal data the former palaeoenvironmental conditions of the non-analogue periglacial tundra-steppe are reconstructed.

Voronin Grotto (Middle Urals, Russia): Analysis of vertebrate assemblage with taphonomic remarks and reconstruction of the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age human environment in the east end of Europe based on small mammals

We present the Voronin Grotto as a new site where numerous remains of vertebrates (total NISP = 12574) and artefacts (N = 46) were found. The grotto is located in Serga River valley at the foot of the western slope of the Middle Urals, i.e., in the east end of continental Europe. The deposits have been accumulating during the last 3310 years. The AMS dates and artefacts indicate that the grotto was periodically visited by human population in the period between 3310 cal BP (the Late Bronze Age) and 1899 cal BP (the Early Iron Age). Recovered vertebrate assemblage included 49 species belonging to 5 classes (Actinopterygii, Amphibia, Reptilia, Aves, and Mammalia). The bones of fish and amphibians were collected by either otters or minks. Prevailing fish sizes between 10 and 15 cm reconstructed by means of bones confirm this. The bones of small mammals accumulated due to the predation of the owls and mustelids. Most identified vertebrate species currently inhabit the vicinity of the grotto, except for the steppe pika. Steppe pika is now disjointed from the Voronin Grotto by approximately 200–300 km to the south. Perhaps between 3310 and 1899 cal BP, steppe pika inhabited the vicinity of the grotto as the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene relic. Palaeoenvironmental analysis of small mammal assemblage showed the predominance of woodlands with a significant proportion of open mesophytic meadows around the grotto during the last 3310 years. The landscape did not change significantly during this time. This is consistent with high values of the Simpson evenness index (1–D). Between 3310 and 1899 cal BP, the ratio of forests decreased, while the ratio of open meadows increased. Perhaps this was due to anthropic activity. After 1899 cal BP, the relative abundances of taiga small mammal species increased among forest dwellers, which is consistent with palynological data for the Middle Urals. At approximately 3310 cal BP, the climate of area around the grotto was slightly milder, and the winters were warmer than in the present day. At approximately 1899 cal BP, the climate was similar to the modern climate of the region and was cold, without a dry season, and with warm summers (Dfb type according to the Köppen–Geiger classification) as well as that of the previous period. Towards the recent time, the climate became colder and was possibly cold, without a dry season, but with a cold summer (type Dfc).

Small mammal dynamics in snow-covered forests

AbstractIn seasonal environments, the winter months can drive the structure and dynamics of vertebrate communities. Most ecological studies have focused on species above the snow, overlooking those within the subnivium (below-snow environment). The Great Lakes region of North America is characterized by seasonal snow cover and a diverse assemblage of small mammals, both of which are changing rapidly in response to a changing climate. To study the seasonal dynamics of small mammals, we sampled communities in three forest types (hardwood, hemlock-cedar, and spruce bog) in summer and winter over 2 years. We hypothesized that seasonal differences in communities would be moderated by forest structure in summer and snow in winter. We assessed community dominance via species diversity and the abundances of deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), white-footed mice (P. leucopus), and southern red-backed voles (Myodes gapperi). We estimated a Community Temperature Index (CTI; a metric of the balance between warm- and cold-adapted species in a community) and tested seasonal drivers of CTI. Species diversity was highest in spruce bogs in winter due to increased species evenness, but diversity was consistent year-round in hardwood and hemlock-cedar forests due to unchanging species dominance. Spruce bogs supported the coldest CTI in summer, but CTIs converged across forest types in winter. In summer, forest structure drove CTI; in winter, colder CTIs were associated with deeper snow and a warmer subnivium. Our work reveals that snow is a critical habitat and filter for cold-adapted species that ultimately structures small mammal communities. Given rapid changes in snow conditions due to climate change, we predict continued range contractions for subnivium-adapted species.

Non-analogue communities in the Italian Peninsula during Late Pleistocene: The case of Grotta del Sambuco

The study of faunal communities of the past, and how they have changed to become what they are now, is fundamental to the understanding of the changes in ecosystems that we are witnessing and that are coming in the future. In this paper, we present the small mammal assemblage from Grotta del Sambuco (Massa Marittima, Grosseto), belonging to two archaeologic stratigraphic Units, 5 and 6, both dated to Marine Isotope Stage 2. The assemblage from Unit 6 can be defined as “non-analogue”, due to the occurrence of the Narrow-headed Vole Lasiopodomys anglicus and the Southern Birch Mouse Sicista subtilis. Non-analogue communities (i.e., with no equivalent in present time) are frequent during Late Pleistocene in the Italian Peninsula. Starting with Grotta del Sambuco, we describe some of the different factors leading to the origins and disappearance of past non-analogue small mammal assemblages in Italy. Climatic changes and the consequent shifts in geographic distributions of the species play a major role in shaping these communities, eventually leading to extirpation and extinction of cold- or continental-adapted species.

Habitat Specificity Modulates the Response of Small Mammals to Habitat Fragmentation, Loss, and Quality in a Neotropical Savanna

Landscape conversion of natural environments into agriculture and pasture are driving a marked biodiversity decline in the tropics. Consequences of fragmentation might depend upon habitat amount in the landscape, while the quality of remnants can also affect some species. These factors have been poorly studied in relation to different spatial scales. Furthermore, the impacts of these human-driven alterations may go beyond species loss, possibly causing a loss of ecosystem function and services. In this study, we investigated how changes in landscape configuration (patch size and isolation), habitat loss (considering a landscape gradient of 10, 25, and 40% of remnant forest cover), and habitat quality (forest structure) affect small mammal abundance, richness, taxonomic/functional diversity, and species composition in fragmented landscapes of semideciduous forests in the Brazilian Cerrado. Analyses were performed separately for habitat generalists and forest specialists. We live-trapped small mammals and measured habitat quality descriptors four times in 36 forest patches over the years 2018 and 2019, encompassing both rainy and dry seasons, with a total capture effort of 45,120 trap-nights. Regression analyses indicated that the effect of landscape configuration was not dependent on the proportion of habitat amount in the landscape to determine small mammal assemblages. However, both patch size and habitat loss impacted different aspects of the assemblages in distinct ways. Smaller patches were mainly linked to an overall increase in small mammal abundance, while the abundance of habitat generalists was also negatively affected by habitat amount. Generalist species richness was determined by the proportion of habitat amount in the landscape. Specialist richness was influenced by patch forest quality only, suggesting that species with more demanding habitat requirements might respond to fragmentation and habitat loss at finer scales. Taxonomic or functional diversity were not influenced by landscape structure or habitat quality. However, patch size and habitat amount in the landscape were the major drivers of change in small mammal species composition in semideciduous forests in the Brazilian savanna.

Palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of the late Miocene macroflora of La Bisbal d'Empordà (Catalonia, Spain). Comparison with small mammals

The late Miocene flora from La Bisbal d'Empordà (Catalonia, Spain) provides significant data for characterising the coastal vegetation from the north-eastern Iberian Peninsula during a key period in Neogene climatic evolution. To this end, a historical leaf collection from La Bisbal d'Empordà was re-examined, analysed from a palaeoenvironmental viewpoint and compared with data provided by the associated small mammal fauna. This flora dates from 9.6–9.7 Ma in age (early Tortonian) according to small mammal biostratigraphy.The fossil-bearing beds were deposited in the floodplain of a meandering river system. Three palaeoecological assemblages were recognized: 1) Helophytic plant stems related to a wetland community. 2) Torn leaves of Fraxinus sp., Ulmus sp., Zelkova sp., Cedrelospermum sp. Populus balsamoides, Alnus gaudinii, Carpinus sp., Platanus sp., Acer tricuspidatum, Daphnogene sp. and, Laurophyllum sp. which would have belonged to a riparian forest located beyond the wetland community, with Fraxinus being the plant growing in closest proximity; 3) Isolated complete Paliurus seeds, interpreted as mainly wind-transported, which provide evidence of an open and more arid landscape situated distally from the floodplain. The small mammal assemblages associated with this flora are consistent with this palaeoenvironmental interpretation. The paucity of small arboreal mammal taxa and insectivores suggests limited forested vegetation areas, while the more common terrestrial species indicate better developed open landscapes. Our results show a more heterogeneous environment than previously thought and that the riverine processes impinged the flora, somewhat limiting the climatic conclusions that might be derived from leaf physiognomic analyses such as CLAMP.

Faunal renewals during the Early Pleistocene on the northern Italian Peninsula: Climate and environment reconstructions inferred from the Rivoli Veronese small mammal assemblage (Adige River valley, Verona, Italy)

The Early Pleistocene is an epoch where wide environmental changes, driven by climate instabilities, were registered by multiple lines of evidence in different chronostratigraphic records, both continental and marine. Among these records, small mammals are one of the most reliable for understanding how faunal assemblages responded to the climate shifts. One of the key regions for this epoch in the European framework is the north-eastern Italian Peninsula, which was long considered as an ecotonal zone and crossroad between Central and Mediterranean Europe.In this region, Rivoli Veronese (Verona, north-eastern Italy), an Early Pleistocene site with a highly diversified assemblage, has always been considered one of the most important sites for the biochronology of the Italian Peninsula. Here we present the taxonomic study of the Early Pleistocene insectivores, bats, and rodents from this site, as well as the environmental and climatic reconstruction using the Taxonomical Habitat Index, the Habitat Weighting, and the Bioclimatic model.In the rich Rivoli Veronese assemblage, composed of 27 taxa, important biochronology markers, such as Mimomys pitymyoides, Mimomys tornensis, and Mimomys pliocaenicus were recognized. The earliest occurrences in Europe of Sorex praealpinus and Dinaromys genus were also documented as well as a new fossil mole species, Talpa sp. nov. Comparison with other European small mammal assemblages of the Early Pleistocene have allowed us to relate Rivoli Veronese to the early Late Villanyian Age.The persistence of Pliocene relicts, such as Rhagapodemus cf. frequens, and Pliopetaurista cf. pliocaenica, together with Early Pleistocene species is a remarkable feature of this site. This is also reflected in the environment which was still mainly forested but with spreading open areas and wetlands mainly in the form of water streams. The climate values show that the conditions were similar to the current ones but the comparison with the near and recent Monte La Mesa assemblage, dated to Early Biharian (beginning of the Calabrian Stage), and the appearance of several taxa related to open landscapes show that a cooling and arid trend in climate was already settled in the region during the Gelasian.

Differential responses of coexisting owls to annual small mammal population fluctuations in temperate mixed forest

Montane temperate forests in central and southern Europe host diverse small mammal assemblages, but the fluctuations in these assemblages in correlation with owl predators are still poorly explored. The key questions of our study were how coexisting owls responded to different prey fluctuations and whether any particular small mammal species governed predator–prey co‐dynamics. We conducted a long‐term study (2004–2020) in low‐elevation (300–1100 m above sea level) mixed Beech and Silver Fir forest in the northern Dinaric Alps (central Slovenia). Monitoring data on the main small mammal groups – mice Muridae, voles Cricetidae, dormice Gliridae and shrews Soricidae – and three owl species – the Ural Owl Strix uralensis, Tawny Owl Strix aluco and Boreal Owl Aegolius funereus – were collected annually. To find relationships between prey and predator populations, we used two types of supervised machine learning approaches and addressed three predictive modelling tasks of multi‐target regression. The dominant species in the small mammal assemblage, the Yellow‐necked Mouse Apodemus flavicollis, had a key role in determining predator populations and their breeding performance. We noted higher sensitivity to small mammal fluctuations in boreal zone owl species (Boreal Owl and Ural Owl), which reach their southern distribution limit in the Dinaric Alps, whereas the temperate zone species (Tawny Owl) seemed to be less affected. In years of prey shortage, the Boreal Owl was found to presumably abandon its territories, the Ural Owl suppressed breeding and the Tawny Owl sustained breeding activity by shifting prey selection. Low‐elevation forests appeared to be suboptimal habitat for the competitive subordinate Boreal Owl, which may exploit occasional outbreaks of small mammal populations in these habitats even in the presence of larger competitors. Whether low‐elevation forests can play a role in maintaining threatened and cold‐adapted Boreal Owl populations in central and southern Europe in the face of recent ecosystem changes due to climate and environmental changes remains an open scientific question.