The Bukovina blind mole rat Spalax graecus is the westernmost representative of the genus and one of the least known European mammals. As currently understood, the species contains three isolates on both sides of the south‐eastern Carpathian Mountains. Our focus was on Bukovina blind mole rats from north‐eastern Romania and adjacent Ukraine, i.e. on the nominal subspecies Spalax graecus graecus Topachevskii 1976. Phylogenetic reconstruction based on 1140‐bp‐long cytochrome b sequence revealed a sister position of Spalax graecus against the genus Nannospalax. Pairwise Kimura two‐parameter genetic divergences were evidently higher between Spalax graecus and the three species of Nannospalax (mean distances ± standard errors between 0.177 ± 0.014 and 0.197 ± 0.016) than between the three species of Nannospalax (up to 0.128 ± 0.010). The two genera were separated by 178 mutational steps. The Bukovina blind mole rat is so far known from 13 localities in north‐eastern Romania and adjacent Ukraine. The most influential environmental factors in the Spalax graecus habitat model were seasonality in precipitation, type of soil and altitude. The elevational range of suitable habitats is 39–848 m. The area occupied is estimated at 15581 km2, but patches with high habitat suitability cover only 1604 km2. The main habitat for the Bukovina blind mole rat is likely to degrade and the conservation needs of the species will soon have to be taken into account. We recommend the inclusion of the species on Annex II or IV of the European Union's Habitats Directive on grounds of its (i) narrow endemism, (ii) small range of occupancy, (iii) small overall population size and (iv) vulnerability to changes in agricultural land use.

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Abstract:We addressed the species taxonomy of five-toed jerboas (Allactaga, subgenus Paralactaga) in the Middle East by applying molecular markers (cytochrome b and a partial 16S rRNA). The study consisted of 17 specimens from eight localities in the Middle East, representing both species: Allactaga euphratica and Allactaga williamsi. The phylogenetic reconstructions yielded three highly divergent lineages, which failed to conform to the recent taxonomy of Paralactaga. The first lineage (williamsi lineage) encompassed all the samples of A. williamsi from Turkey and Iran and also the specimens of A. euphratica from Lebanon. The haplotypes of A. euphratica were arranged into two lineages, which showed strong geographic associations. One lineage contained samples from Harran in Turkey and from Iran, while all the samples from Syria clustered in another lineage. The pairwise Kimura twoparameter values suggested similar divergences between the three lineages and were within the range reported for a sister species of rodents. Our results point to a cryptic species in A. euphratica and also provide evidence of the expanded range of A. williamsi further south to Lebanon.

The genetic structure of a species is influenced by its history and by current gene flow. Using a population genomics approach, we infer the demographic history of the false ringlet (Coenonympha oedippus) in Europe based on 1594 genome-wide double digest restriction site associated DNA sequencing loci from 96 individuals (32 localities) sampled throughout the fragmented species range. In contrast to the weak geographical structure in mitochondrial DNA, a clear nuclear differentiation was observed between the westernmost Atlantic localities, those from the western Alps and all other sampled localities. Mountain ridges were the main factor explaining population divergence at the European scale, while isolation by distance was found at a regional scale. We applied Approximate Bayesian Computation in a coalescent framework to infer past and contemporary demographic parameters. The best scenario suggested a first divergence between French and all other European populations around 66 000 years ago, such that the species survived the Last Glacial Maximum in at least two distinct areas separated by the Alps. This scenario fits species distribution modelling identifying variation of suitable areas with past climatic modifications. The Atlantic and western Alps lineages separated about 6000 years ago. Strong population decline was inferred in these lineages during historical time, in agreement with multiple records of recent decline of this species in Europe.

http://www.eje.cz traspecifi c communication (Robertson & Monteiro, 2005; Oliver et al., 2009), predator avoidance and evasion (Dennis et al., 1986; Ho et al., 2016). Multifunctional character of butterfl y wings affects a number of fi tness components. Intraspecifi c variation in wing morphology is the result of variability in genetic (Hill et al., 1999) and environmental factors (Nylin, 2009; Gibbs et al., 2011). Phenotypic traits that are largely affected by environment are said to exhibit phenotypic plasticity (Pigliucci et al., 2006). Traits with high plasticity levels are more responsive to environmental changes, and are generally linked to a higher capacity to occupy different environments. Phenotypic plasticity may be triggered by a number of environmental factors during development and their interactions can result in different complex patterns. Phenotypic plasticity can be adaptive or non-adaptive depending on whether the resulting phenotype is closer or further away from the op