What is it about?
Taurus ground squirrels are endemic to the western Taurus Mountains, one of the most biologically diverse areas in the ‘Mediterranean Basin’ biodiversity hotspot. In this study, we aimed to understand how Taurus ground squirrels have responded to global climate changes through the Late Quaternary glacial-interglacial cycles and to predict their likely responses to future climate change. Accordingly, cytochrome b mitochondrial DNA sequences from throughout the known distribution of Taurus ground squirrels were used to investigate the intraspecific diversification. Besides molecular phylogeography, ecological niche modelling was also employed to get insights into possible climate-driven altitudinal range shifts in the past (the Last Glacial Maximum, 22 kya and the Mid-Holocene, 6 kya) and in the future (2050).
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Why is it important?
Understanding how species have responded to strong climatic fluctuations accompanying glacial-interglacial cycles is critical to predicting their likely responses to future climate change, and therefore can help guide conservation strategies. Particular sources of concern are the synergistic effects of future climate change and anthropogenic impacts on Taurus ground squirrels and their montane environments.
Perspectives
Despite their importance with respect to biodiversity, the Mediterranean Taurus Mountains are an under-explored region of the ‘Mediterranean Basin’ biodiversity hotspot. Thus, we believe that these kinds of studies, based on the key approaches widely used in recent biogeographic studies, are really needed to accurately understand the biodiversity of these mountain ranges.
Hakan Gür
Ahi Evran Universitesi
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Do climate-driven altitudinal range shifts explain the intraspecific diversification of a narrow ranging montane mammal, Taurus ground squirrels?, Mammal Research, November 2017, Springer Science + Business Media,
DOI: 10.1007/s13364-017-0347-8.
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